Is gerontology a branch of astrology? The role of advanced age in scientific explanation

Although gerontologists have been troubled by meta-scientific problems such as the proper definition of their discipline, the nature of time and age, and the lack of a nonarbitrary distinction between the old and the not old [e.g., Baltes & Goulet (1970) In Life-span developmental psychology (pp. 4–23). New York: Academic Press; Birren (1959) In Handbook of aging and theindividual (pp. 3–42). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press; McKee (1982) Philosophical foundations of gerontology. New York: Human Sciences Press; Reese & Overton (1970) In Life-span developmental psychology (pp. 116–149). New York: Academic Press; Wohlwill (1970) Psychological Review, 77, 49–647], philosophers of science have paid little attention to the meta-scientific problems of gerontology. In this paper some philosophical problems in gerontology are examined through an analysis of the nature of scientific explanation. An argument is presented that claims that gerontology avoids many of the meta-scientific problems associated with time and advanced chronological age because these terms will tend to be obviated or “screened off” in scientific explanations in gerontology.     

Attachment and trait forgivingness: The mediating role of angry rumination

Integrating theories of attachment and forgiveness, we predicted that secure attachment reduces angry rumination and promotes forgiveness. To examine this prediction, in Study 1 (n = 213), participants completed the Experience in Close Relationships Scale (ECR; Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998) and the Trait Forgiveness Scale (TFS; Berry, Worthington, O’Connor, Parrott, & Wade, 2005). Individuals who were classified as securely attached displayed greater dispositional forgivingness than did insecurely attached individuals. In Study 2 (n = 218) we included the Dissipation-Rumination Scale (DRS; Caprara, 1986). Results from Study 2 replicated the association between attachment security and greater dispositional forgivingness and confirmed the mediating role of angry rumination in the attachment–forgivingness relation.     

Personality and the coherence of psychotherapy narratives

The stories people construct about themselves and their social worlds are key aspects of their identities [Bruner, J. S. (1990). Acts of meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; McAdams, D. P. (2001). The psychology of life stories. Review of General Psychology, 5, 100–122]. Whereas certain expected life experiences (e.g., leaving home, getting a job) may be relatively easy to narrate, more unexpected and difficult events, such as undergoing psychotherapy, may pose a challenge to successful narration. Yet it is especially important to successfully narrate one’s experience in psychotherapy in order to maintain the gains from treatment [Frank, J. D. (1961). Persuasion and healing: A comprehensive study of psychotherapy. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press; Spence, D. P. (1982). Narrative truth and historical truth: Meaning and interpretation in psychoanalysis. New York: W.W. Norton]. The present study collected psychotherapy narratives from 76 adult former clients and coded them for the fundamental story criterion of coherence [Baerger, D. R., & McAdams, D. P. (1999). Life story coherence and its relation to psychological well-being. Narrative Inquiry, 9, 69–96]. Former clients that were high in trait Openness to experience and those at higher stages of ego development told more coherent stories about therapy. The relationship between ego development and narrative coherence remained significant even when controlling for Openness. The findings suggest that high ego development may provide narrators with the kind of sophisticated frameworks for meaning-making that are especially well-suited for the important task of making good sense of psychotherapy.     

A China–New Zealand comparison of forgiveness

The present study examined the practice of forgiveness among participants from China (N = 172) and New Zealand (N = 91). We tested a theoretical model describing the relationships between collectivism, individualism, and forgiveness. Participants from China were more collectivistic and less individualistic than were participants from New Zealand. Overall, participants from New Zealand were more forgiving than were participants from China. Collectivism was positively related to decisional forgiveness in Chinese participants. Decisional forgiveness independently predicted conciliatory behaviour among participants from China, but this was not the case for participants from New Zealand. Thus, the hypothesized model received qualified support.     

Situational,Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal Characteristic Associations With Adolescent Conflict Forgiveness

Given the voluntary nature of adolescent friendships, forgiveness of interpersonal transgressions has been identified as a critical aspect of maintaining these relationships. However, transgression forgiveness is related to a range of situational (e.g., transgression severity), interpersonal (e.g., friendship commitment), and intrapersonal (e.g., victim's empathy) factors. Data from 161 adolescents were used to examine the nature of the relationships between these factors and forgiveness and to examine the differential association patterns for adolescent boys and girls. Results for the overall adolescent sample indicated both situational and interpersonal factor associations with forgiveness (R ² = .52, p < .001). Examination of separate female and male forgiveness reports indicated similar interpersonal factor associations and differential situational factor associations with female (R ² = .46, p < .001), and male (R ² = .60, p < .001) forgiveness. Findings suggest the likelihood of forgiving may be contextually dependent, and that researchers should consider transgression, relationship, and intrapersonal characteristics when examining forgiveness. Further, the present study suggests the contextual factors associated with forgiveness may be further differentiated by gender.     

Perfectionism, acne and appearance concerns

This study investigated the relationship between perfectionism and two aspects of appearance worry: acne-related concerns and dysmorphic concerns. One-hundred and sixty five female university students completed measures of three facets of perfectionism: self-oriented, other-oriented and socially prescribed [Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991a). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: conceptualization, assessment and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 456–470], general psychopathology (GHQ-28), acne health related quality of life [Girman, C. J., Hartmaier, S., Thiboutot, D., Johnson, J., Barter, B., DeMunro-Mercon, & Waldstreicher, J. (1996). Evaluating health-related quality of life in patients with facial acne: development of a self-administered questionnaire for clinical trials. Quality of Life Research, 5, 481–490] and dysmorphic concerns [Oostuizen, P., Lambert, T., & Castle, D.J. (1998). Dysmorphic concern: prevalence and associations with clinical variables. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 32, 129–132]. Multiple regression analyses showed that, after controlling for general psychopathology, a high level of socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with a greater tendency to be concerned about acne in particular and appearance in general.     

Exploring the effects of a youth enrichment program on academic motivation and engagement

This study explores the effects of a youth enrichment program on academic motivation and engagement. Fifty-three students aged 14–16 years participated in the Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN). Embedded within the program were workshops revolving around the Student Motivation and Engagement Wheel [Martin (2003a). How to motivate your child for school and beyond. Sydney: Bantam] and strategies aimed at enhancing students’ academic motivation and engagement. Motivation was measured using the Student Motivation and Engagement Scale [Martin (2001). Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling 11, 1–20; Martin (2003b) Australian Journal of Education, 14, 34–49] at the outset of the program, towards the end of the program, and again 6–8 weeks later. Data showed that there were gains on key facets of students’ motivation by the end of the program – gains that were sustained 6–8 weeks later. These gains were demonstrated by boys and girls. Moreover, when compared to a larger weighted sample (2769 high school students), by Time 2 and also by Time 3, significant declines in motivation had been reversed and any pre-existing advantages or parallel strengths of the RYPEN sample over the weighted sample were maintained. Five facets of the program proposed to have contributed to its effectiveness are: the optimistic expectations held by adults, the program’s focus on mastery, the climate of cooperation and the ensuing sense of belonging, the positive relationships that developed amongst students and between students and adults, and embedding school-related elements within a broader enrichment program. Each of these is discussed.     

Book reviews

Memory, Learning and Higher Function: A Cellular View. C. D. Woody. N.Y. Springer-Verlag. 1982. No price given. Neuropsychology and Cognition. Vols. I & 11. R. N. Malatesha and L. C. Hartlage (Eds.). The Hague. Martinus Nijhoff. 1982. No price given. Game Theory and Experimental Games. A. Colman. Oxford. Pergamon. 1982. 301. $17.95. Experiential Psychotherapies in Australia. Dick Armstrong and Phill Boas (Eds.). Bundoora, Victoria. PIT. 1980. 196. $12.95. Time-Series Analysis: A Comprehensive Introduction for Social Scientists. John M. Gottman. New York. Cambridge University Press. 1981. xvi + 400. No price given. Developmental Plasticity. Eugene S. Gollin (Ed.). London. Academic Press. 1981. viii + 282. $25.00. Learning Counselling and Problem-Solving Skills. Leslie E. Borck and Stephen B. Fawcett. New York. The Haworth Press. 1982. x + 160. No price given. The Psychology of Physical Symptoms. James W. Pennebaker. N.Y. Springer-Verlag. 1982. x + 197. No price given. The Psychology of Deductive Reasoning. Johnathan St. B. T. Evans. London. Routledge & Kegan Paul. 1982. 277. $34.50. Equity and Justice in Social Behaviour. Jerald Greenberg and Ronald L. Cohen (Eds.). N.Y. Academic Press. 1982. xxi + 492. N o price given. The Abilities and Achievements of Orientals in North America. Philip E. Vernon. New York. Academic Press. 1982. xiv + 321. As29.50. The Theory and Practice of Organizational Psychology: A Collection of Original Essays. Nigel Nicholson and Toby D. Wall (Eds.). London. Academic Press. 1982. ix + 261. No price given. Grammatical Man. Jeremy Campbell. London. Allen Lane. 1983. 319. $29.95 cloth. Aggression: Theoretical and Empirical Reviews, Vol. 2: Issues in Research. Russell Geen and Edward Donnerstein (Eds.). N.Y. Academic Press. 1983. xviii + 209. US $22.00. Disorders of Space Exploration and Cognition. Ennio De Renzie. Chichester. John Wiley and Sons. 1982. xv + 268. $51.00. Adtmances in Child Development and Behatmior. Volume 16. Hayne W. Reese and Lewis P. Lipsitt (Eds.). New York. Academic Press. 1982. 345. $34.00. Improiming Group Decision Making in Organizations: Approaches from Theory and Research. Richard A. Guzzo (Ed.). New York. Academic Press. 1982. xi + 160. US $19.50. Development of Perception: Psychobiological Perspectitmes Vol. 1: Audition, Somaric Perception and the Chemical Senses. Richard N. Aslin, Jeffrey R. Alberts and Michael R. Petersen (Eds.). New York. Academic Press. 1981. xviii + 463. No price given. Schizophrenia and Madness. Andrew Croyden Smith. London. George Allen & Unwin. 1982. xii + 160. $29.95 cloth, $13.95 paper. Tactual Perception: A Sourcebook. William Schiff and Emerson Foulke (Eds.). Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1982. xiii + 465. 225.00. Clinical Psychopathology. E. M. Coles. London. Routledge & Kegan Paul. 1982. xxii + 502. $19.50 paper.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Books Reviewed in this Article: Introduction to the Critical Study of the Text of the Hebrew Bible. By J. Weingreen. Pp.vii, 103, Oxford, Clarendon Press; New York, Oxford University Press, 1982, £5.50. The Archaeology of the Land of Israel. By Yohanan Aharoni. Pp.xx, 344, Philadelphia, The Westminster Press, 1982, $27.50 (hardback), $18.95 (paperback); London, SCM Press, 1982, £12.50. A Commentary on the Gospel of Mark. By Terence J. Keegan. Pp.183, New York, Paulist Press, and Leominster, Fowler Wright Books, 1981, £4.45. The Panorama of Luke: An Introduction to the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. By Neil Richardson. Pp.116, London, Epworth Press, 1982, £3.95. The Synoptic Gospels: An Introduction. By Keith F. Nickle. Pp.119, London SCM Press, 1982, £5.50. What is a Gospel? By Nicholas King. Pp.132, Leigh-on-Sea, Kevin Mayhew, 1982, £3.00. The Women Around Jesus: Reflections on Authentic Personhood. By Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel, translated by J. Bowden. Pp.xii, 148, London, SCM Press, 1982, £3.95. Paul and Paulinism: Essays in honour of C.K. Barrett. Edited by M.D. Hooker and S.G. Wilson. Pp.xxvii, 404, London, SPCK, 1982, £25.00. Divine Revelation and the Limits of Historical Criticism. By William J. Abraham. Pp.222, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1982, £15.00. The Social Teaching of Vatican II. By Rodger Charles with Drostan Maclaren. Pp.xxvi, 569, San Francisco, Ignatius Press; Oxford, Plater Publications, 1982, £12.75. Option for the Poor: A Hundred Years of Vatican Social Teaching. By Donal Dorr. Pp.viii, 328, New York, Orbis Books; Dublin, Gill & Macmillan, 1983, £7.95. The Kindness that Kills. Edited by Digby Anderson. Pp.xii, 170, London SPCK, 1984, £3.95. Communism in the Bible. By José Porfiro Miranda. Pp.x, 86, London, SCM Press Ltd. 1982, £3.50. Why I am still a Catholic. Edited by Robert Nowell. Pp.157, London, Collins, 1982, £4.95. Does God Answer Prayer? By Peter Baelz. Pp.55, London, Darton, Longman and Todd, 1982, £1.95. A Cry for Mercy. By Henri J.M. Nouwen. Pp.175, Dublin, Gill and Macmillan, 1982, £3.50. The Living Reminder. By Henri J.M. Nouwen. Pp.80, Dublin, Gill and Macmillan, 1982, £2.95. Making All Things New. By Henri J.M. Nouwen. Pp.95, Dublin, Gill and Macmillan, 1982. £2.95. Picturing God. By Norman Pittenger. Pp.x, 147, London, SCM Press, 1982, £4.50. Christotherapy II, The Fasting and Feasting Heart. By Bernard J. Tyrrell. Pp.xiii, 337, New York, Paulist Press, 1982, £6.70. With Respect: A Doctor's Response to a Healing Pope. By Frank Lake. Pp.xxiii, 327, London, Darton, Longman and Todd, 1982, £6.95. Euthanasia and Clinical Practice: Trends, Principles and Alternatives: The Report of a Working Party. Pp.viii, 88, London, The Linacre Centre, 1982, £2.75. Essays in Religion and Morality. By William James. Pp.xxviii, 345, Cambridge (Mass.), Harvard University Press, 1982, £17.50. Freud and Jung: Conflicts of Interpretation. By Robert Steele. Pp.vii, 390, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1982, £14.95. Archetype: A Natural History of the Self. By Anthony Stevens. Pp.xi, 324, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1982, £12.50. The Seeing Eye: Hermeneutical Phenomenology in the Study of Religion. By Walter L. Brenneman Jr. and Stanley O. Yarian, in association with Alan M. Olson. Pp.xii, 177, University Park and London, The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1982, £8.10. Contemporary Philosophy of Religion. Edited by S.M. Cahn and D. Schatz. Pp.x, 310, Oxford University Press, 1982, £6.95. Beyond Empiricism: Philosophy of Science in Sociology. By Andrew Tudor. Pp.xii, 213 (Monographs in Social Theory), London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982, £4.95. Philosophy and Human Geography: An Introduction to Contemporary Approaches. By R.J. Johnston. Pp.viii, 152, London, Edward Arnold, 1982, £5.50. The Literate Revolution in Greece and its Cultural Consequences. By Eric A. Havelock. pp.viii, 362, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1982, £17.70 (hardback), £6.30 (paperback). The Philosophy of Robert Grosseteste. By James McEvoy. Pp.xviii, 560, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1982, £35.00. Kant's Life and Thought. By Ernst Cassirer, translated by James Haden, introduction by Stephan Körner. Pp.xxiii, 429, New Haven, Yale University Press, 1981, £17.50. Kant's Theory of Form: An Essay on the Critique of Pure Reason. By Robert B. Pippin. Pp.xii, 247, New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1982, £16.50. The Basic Problems of Phenomenology. By Martin Heidegger, translated by Albert Hofstadter. Pp.xxxi, 396, Bloomington, Indiana, Indiana University Press, 1982, £16.50. In the Active Voice By Mary Douglas. Pp.xi, 306, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1982, £9.75. Structural Sociology. Edited by Ino Rossi. Pp.xiv, 363, New York, Columbia University Presss, 1982, £45.50. A Vanquished Hope: The Movement for Church Renewal in Russia, 1905–1906. By J.W. Cunningham. Pp.384, Crestwood (New York), St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1981, £7.95. Christians in Ulster 1968–1980. By Eric Gallagher and Stanley Worrall. P.241, Oxford University Press, 1982, £10.00. Scotland and the Papacy. By John Cooney. Pp.126, Edinburgh, Paul Harris, 1982, £8.95 (hardback), £4.95 (paperback). Scotia Pontificia. Edited by Robert Somerville. Pp.xiii, 177, Oxford, Clarendon Press: Oxford University Press, 1982, £25.00.     

Briefly noted

David Brendel. Healing Psychiatry: Bridging the Science/Humanism Divide. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2006. 208 pp. $26 (cloth) ISBN 0‐262‐02594‐9. David Livingstone and Charles Withers. Geography and Revolution. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005. 440 pp. $45 (cloth) ISBN: 0‐226‐48733‐4. Sanford Schram and Brian Caterino. Making Political Science Matter. New York: New York University Press, 2006. 304 pp. $24 (paper) ISBN: 0‐8147‐4033‐2. Dieter Borchmeyer. Drama and the World of Richard Wagner. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003. 391 pp. (cloth) ISBN 0‐691‐11497‐8. Arnold Goldberg. Moral Stealth: How “Correct Behavior” Insinuates Itself Into Psychotherapeutic Practice. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. 144 pp. $32 (cloth) ISBN 0‐226‐30120‐4.     

Inspection time and intelligence in 7-yr-old children: A follow-up

Remeasures of inspection time (IT) were obtained from 30 of the 47 children reported in Nettelbeck and Young (Personality and Individual Differences, 10, 605–614, 1989). Ages ranged from 7 yr–0 months to 7–11 and Full Scale IQ (WISC-R) ranged from 93 to 142 (mean = 116.5 SD = 12.2). Correlations between IT and the WISC-R subtests, scales and factors used in the earlier study were generally statistically significant: and similar to those found earlier. The correlation between IT and Full Scale IQ was — 0.49, with those children whose IQs were below the median score of 116 again contributing more to this outcome. Similarly, the IT-IQ correlation was higher among children showing less well-directed attention in the IT task. Once again IT correlated better with Verbal IQ, supporting the hypothesis that IT is better associated with more general intellectual functioning than with specific cognitive abilities. Cross-lagged panel correlations between IT and IQ were —0.40, whether predicting IQ from IT or the reverse. Thus, there was no evidence for a causal relationship between these variables, although both may reflect a common cognitive ability factor.     

Black–White differences on IQ and grades: The mediating role of elementary cognitive tasks

The relationship between IQ scores and elementary cognitive task (ECT) performance is well established, with variance on each largely reflecting the general factor of intelligence, or g. Also ubiquitous are Black–White mean differences on IQ and measures of academic success, like grade point average (GPA). Given C. Spearman's (Spearman, C. (1927). The Abilities of Man. New York: Macmillan) hypothesis that group differences vary directly with a test's g loading, we explored whether ECT performance could mediate Black–White IQ and GPA differences. Undergraduates (139 White and 40 Black) completed the Wonderlic Personnel Test, followed by inspection time and choice reaction time ECTs. Despite restriction of range, ECT performance completely mediated Black–White differences on IQ (d = .45). Group differences on GPA (d = .73), however, were larger and ECT performance did not mediate them. We discuss findings in light of Spearman's hypothesis.     

Forgiveness of Interpersonal Offenses in Younger and Older Roman Catholic Women

Forgiveness involves replacing negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors with constructive responses following an interpersonal offense. Although older adults report themselves to be more forgiving than younger adults, it is unclear why. The current study examined forgiveness of specific offenses in two samples of Roman Catholic women. Participants wrote about an interpersonal offense and completed a multi-dimensional measure of forgiveness with regard to the offense. On 5 of 10 dimensions, older women (n = 26; mean age = 74 years) were significantly more forgiving of specific offenses than were younger women (n = 37; mean age = 19 years). Religiousness/spirituality and current hurt/anger about the offense partially mediated the associations between age group and forgiveness. The results support models of successful aging, with older women showing greater likelihood of responding to interpersonal conflicts with forgiveness.     

Review, critique, and synthesis of personality theory in motivation to sexually assault

A widely-cited meta-analysis of recidivism amongst adult male perpetrators or sexual assult [Hanson and Bussiere, J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 66 (1998) 348–362] found that the presence of any personality disorder (APA, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-III-R. (1987); [APA, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV (1994)] was the only variable to significantly predict sexual recidivism in a category measuring “Psychological Maladjustment” (r₊=.16, n=315). The relationship between personality disturbance and new sexual offenses is undoubtedly a dynamic relationship that deserves exploration. This review and critique of theory covers two theories of personality: (1) a psychoanalytic theory of rapist personality offered by Groth [Men Who Rape: The Psychology of the Offender. (1979), New York: Plenum] and (2) a general biosocial theory or personality disturbance offered by Millon [Disorders of Personality: DSM-IV and Beyond. (1996). New York: Wiley]. Theory offered by Groth is critiqued and limitations considered. Theory offered by Millon is offered and the two approaches are synthesized to suggest possible causes of characteristic psychological disturbance associated with perpetration of sexual assault. Applications for research and practice are considered, and implications of this line of research for risk assessment and sexual assault prevention are reviewed.     

Response to the critiques of ‘“fundamentalism” Christian and Islamic’ by Bruce Lawrence and Azim Nanji

Alicia Suskin Ostriker, The Nakedness of the Fathers: Biblical Visions and Revisions. New Brunswick, New Jersey, Rutgers University Press, 1994, xv + 260 pp. ISBN 0 8135 2125 4.

Daniel Pals, Seven Theories of Religion. New York, Oxford University Press, 1996, vii + 294 pp., $19.95 (hardback) ISBN 0 19 508724 0, $13.95 (paperback) ISBN 0 19 508725 9.

Grady Scott Davis, Warcraft and the Fragility of Virtue: An Essay in Aristotelian Ethics. Moscow, Idaho, University of Idaho Press, 1992, x+196 pp., $19.95 (paperback) ISBN 0 8930 1 1541.

Dale F. Eickelman and James Piscatori, Muslim Politics. Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1996, xi+235 pp., $39.50, £33.50 (hardback) ISBN 0 691 03184 3, $13.95, £10.95 (paperback) ISBN 0 691 00870 1.

Mark J. Rozell and Clyde Wilcox, Second Coming: The New Christian Right in Virginia Politics. Baltimore and London, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, xii+285 pp., $32.95 ISBN 0 8018 5297 8.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Expectations and Actions: Expectaney-Value Models in Psychology. Norman T. Feather (Ed). Hillsdale, New Jersey. Lawrence Elbaum Associates. 1982 xi + 436, No Price given. Cultures in Contact. Studies in Cross-Cultural Intraction. Stephen Bochner (Ed.) Oxford. Pergamon Press. 1982. xiv + 232. $38.00 cloth; $14.95 paper. Dangerousness: Problems of Assessment and Prediction. John W. Hinton (Ed.). London. George Allen & Unwin. 1983. x + 177. $29.95. Ethical Problems in Psychological Research. Heinz Schuler. N.Y. Academic Press. 1982. xviii + 269. $68.65 ($US39.50). Paradigms in Transition. Ralph L. Rosnow. New York. Oxford University Press. 1981. x + 170. $11.50. Ideology and Social Psychology. Michael Billig. Oxford. Basil Blackwell. 1982. 243. No price given. Homosexuality and Psychotherapy: A Practitioners Handbook of Afirmative Models. J. C. Gonsiorek (Ed.). N.Y. The Haworth Press. 1982. 216. US$25.00 cloth. Social Skills Training. Jeffrey A. Kelly. Springer Publishing Company. N.Y. 1982. xv + 256. $36.50. Behavior Therapy for Depression: Present Status and Future Directions. Lynne P. Rehm. (Ed.). N.Y. Academic Press. 1981. xix + 389. $29.50. Advances in Clinical Child Psychology, Vol. 5. Benjamin Lahey and Alan Kazdin (Eds.). New York. Plenum. 1982. 375. $35.00. Parent-Child Interaction. Theory, Research and Prospects. Ronald W. Henderson (Ed.). New York. Academic Press. 1981. xiii + 325. $29.50. Introduction to Medical Psychology. James C. Norton. N.Y. The Free Press. 1982. xiv + 313. US22.95. Clinical Behavioural Science. F. Sierles (Ed.). Jamaica, N.Y. MTP Press Limited. 1982.444. UKE30.25. Message-A ttitude-Behavior Relationship. Donald Cushman and Robert McPhee (Eds.). N.Y. Academic Press. 1980. xii + 339. USSi27.00. Ajective Correlates of Learning Disabilities. James W. Chapman and Frederic J. Boersma. Lisse. Swets & Zeitlinger. 1980. vi + 108. USS23.75. Handbook of Research Methods in Human Memory and Cognition. C. R. Puff (Ed.). New York. Academic Press. 1982. xvi + 474. US%45.00. Latvians in Australia. Aldis L. Putnins. Canberra. Australian National University Press. 1981. 131. $9.50 paper. Psychology of Language. Allan Paivio and Ian Begg. New Jersey. Prentice Hall Inc. 1981. xiv + 417. No price given. What Writers Know: The Language, Process and Structure of Written Discourse. Martin Nystrand (Ed.). N.Y. Academic Press. 1982. xvii + 391. US$32.00. Emergency Intervention. Jane Allyn Piliavin, John Dovidio, Samuel L. Gaertner, and Russell D. Clark, 111. N.Y. Academic Press. 1981. xiv + 293. No price given. Beginning Psychology. Malcolm Hardy and Steve Hayes. London. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. 1979. xi + 228. $1 1.95. A Survey of Social Psychology (2nd ed.). Leonard Berkowitz. New York. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 1980. No price given.     

Religion and Forgiveness from a Hong Kong Chinese Perspective

This study investigated the relationship between religion and forgiveness in a sample of Hong Kong Chinese teachers (n=230) and students (n=714). Findings indicated some influence from Chinese cultural values in the conceptualization of forgiveness. Religious affiliation was the strongest predictor of concepts of forgiveness, whereas religious practice predicted attitudes toward “forgivingness” and the practice of forgiveness. No significant difference in forgiveness between believers and non-believers in real life situations was reported. Implications for future research on forgiveness are discussed.We wish to acknowledge the University of Hong Kong Committee on Research and Conference Grants for funding our research. Portions of this paper were presented at the 3rd Annual Mid-Year Research Conference on Religion and Spirituality sponsored by Division 36 of the American Psychological Association and the Department of Pastoral Counseling at Loyola College in Maryland April 1–2, 2005.     

Functional similarity and interpersonal attraction

A pair of related experiments examined the relationship of functional similarity (i.e., the degree of similarity between two interactants in assessing mutually known others on personal construct dimensions) to interpersonal attraction. In Experiment I, 10 previously unacquainted college students of both sexes participated in 10 hours of dyadic disclosure exercises over a 5-week period. As predicted, members of high functional similarity dyads evidenced greater attraction to one another than did members of low functional similarity dyads. Experiment II investigated the relationship of functional similarity to level of acquaintance (i.e., friends, nominals) and type of assessment (i.e., physical, interactional, psychological) in a 2 × 3 factorial design. As hypothesized, “friendship” pairs of male undergraduates displayed greater functional similarity than did “nominal” pairs from the same population, particularly at the deeper level of “psychological” assessment. Results are discussed in relation to classical conditioning (D. Byrne, In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology, Vol. 4. New York. Academic Press, 1969), affect-reinforcement (G. L. Clore, In S. W. Duck (Ed.), Theory and practice in interpersonal attraction. New York/London: Academic Press, 1977) and information processing ( I. Ajzen, In S. Duck (Ed.), Theory and practice in interpersonal attraction, New York/London: Academic Press, 1977) models of interpersonal attraction, and are interpreted as supporting and extending (S. Duck's Theory and practice in interpersonal attraction, New York/London: Academic Press, 1977) filtering theory of friendship formation.     

Religiosity, psychoticism, and schizotypal traits

In the present study we investigated the relationship between scores on the Francis Scale of Attitudes towards Christianity [FSAC (Francis & Stubbs, Personality and Individual Differences, 8, 741–743, 1987)], Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire [EPQ (Eysenck & Eysenck, Manual of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, 1975)], Eckblad and Chapman's Magical Ideation Scale [MgI (Eckblad & Chapman, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 215–225, 1983)], and Claridge's STQ (Claridge & Broks, Personality and Individual Differences, 5, 633–648, 1984). A first Principal Components Analysis with the FSAC and the EPQ confirmed previous work which has shown a negative association between religiosity and psychoticism. A second Principal Components Analysis with all scales yielded a four factor solution:

1. (1) aberrant perceptions and beliefs;

2. (2) social anxiety and suspiciousness;

3. (3) asociality and low religiosity; and

4. (4) social desirability.

Some evidence is also presented for an association between higher religiosity and higher scores on unusual perceptual experiences in men although not in women. Implications for the assessment of religiosity in future research are discussed.