The Need for an Encyclopedia of Psychological Information

The relationship was examined between judgments of relative distance and judgments of relative size made over a surface on which the packing density of the texture elements was progressively increased, from one end of the surface to the other along the S's line of sight. Significant positive correlations were obtained between distance and size judgments made by 32 Ss. This confirmed a weak version of the size-distance invariance hypothesis and supported a prediction contained in Gibson's theory of space perception.     

Minority Religious Practices: The Need for Awareness and Knowledge

This study was conducted to investigate whether educators have knowledge regarding various religious groups. Results indicated that few educators possess knowledge of (a) which holidays are religious in nature and would necessitate that children be absent from school, (b) religious prohibitions and restrictions, and (c) the names of prophets and founders of various religions. Although significant differences in knowledge were found between educators who had completed a course in religion and those who had not completed such a course, completion of a multicultural education course did not produce significant differences. Recommendations for acquisition of knowledge, techniques, and strategies are also included.     

The Presuppositions of Religious Pluralism and the Need for Natural Theology

In ‘The Presuppositions of Religious Pluralism and the Need for Natural Theology’ I argue that there are four important presuppositions behind John Hick’s form of religious pluralism that successfully support it against what I call fideistic exclusivism. These are i) the ought/can principle, ii) the universality of religious experience, iii) the universality of redemptive change, and iv) a view of how God (the Eternal) would do things. I then argue that if these are more fully developed they support a different kind of exclusivism, what I call rational exclusivism, and become defeaters for pluralism. In order to explain rational exclusivism and its dependence on these presuppositions I consider philosophers J.P. Moreland, William Lane Craig, and Alvin Plantinga, who offer arguments for their forms of exclusivism but I maintain that they continue to rely on fideism at important points. I then give an example of how knowledge of the Eternal can be achieved.

Religious Fundamentalism,Religious Coping,and Preference for Psychological and Religious Treatment

Religion may not be simply another variable in the assessment of treatment-seeking but an alternative worldview about the nature of suffering and its appropriate treatment. This study examines the relation of religious fundamentalism and religious coping on relative preference for psychological or religious help-seeking in 142 undergraduate students. Higher levels of religious fundamentalism and deferred religious coping were found to be associated with greater preference for religious rather than psychological help-seeking. The results suggest that religious issues need to be included in the investigation of help-seeking.     

Psychological Type as a Model of Personality Development

Contemporary psychological type theory is discussed, emphasising its model of development and showing that in this theory 'type' is not used in a static sense (though there is an element of continuity) but rather as indicating each type's different, 'normal' pattern of development. The concepts of good type development and false type development are touched on. A self-development exercise is described which (a) applies and illustrates aspects of the theory, and (b) provides an opportunity to practise listening and action skills.     

Psychological Type and Tolerance for Religious Uncertainty

A sample of 315 adult church-goers completed the MBTI questionnaire assessment of psychological type together with an index of Christian agnosticism. The data demonstrate that Christians who prefer intuition rather than sensing are more tolerant of religious uncertainty. The implications of this finding are discussed for pastoral practice. Pastoral Theology and Mansel Jones Fellow at     

Momentary Happiness: The Role of Psychological Need Satisfaction

Psychological well-being correlates positively with psychological need satisfaction—primarily the needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The current study explores momentary happiness (defined as experienced enjoyment minus experienced stress over the course of an hour) as a function of momentary psychological need satisfaction. Results demonstrate that hour-by-hour ratings of psychological need satisfaction were correlated with momentary happiness, with individual differences in life satisfaction moderating this relationship. Ratings of autonomy and relatedness correlated positively with momentary happiness, while competence was negatively correlated with momentary happiness. Thus, engagement in competence-promoting behaviors may come at an affective cost, at least in the moment. When autonomy and relatedness needs were met, individuals with high levels of life satisfaction experienced greater increases in happiness than individuals with low levels of life satisfaction. This finding supports a sensitization model of well-being. Results are discussed with respect to their implications for self-determination theory (SDT).     

The Need to Present a Perfect Body Image: Development of a New Measure of Perfectionistic Self-Presentation

Perfectionistic self-presentation is linked to different clinical conditions and specially to eating disorders. In fact, the role that the drive to reach “perfection” and display it to others plays on eating and body image-related symptoms has long been the target of theoretical and empirical interest. However, an instrument that specifically assessed the need to present a perfect body image to others did not exist. The current study presents the development and validation of the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale – Body Image (PSPS-BI), a measure designed to assess the need to present a perfect body image to others by displaying a flawless physical appearance and by occulting perceived imperfections in a public context. Three studies that included a total of 364 males and 541 females with ages between 18 to 38 years, were used to examine the structure and psychometric properties of the scale. Results showed that PSPS-BI presents two factors that measure the concealment of body imperfections and the display of body perfection. PSPS-BI revealed good internal reliability and temporal stability. Also, the PSPS-BI revealed good concurrent validity, tested with measures of perfectionism, body image flexibility, and general and eating psychopathology. Furthermore, a mediational analysis indicated that the need to present a perfect body image to others fully mediates the relationship between a general measure of perfectionistic self-presentation and drive for thinness, in both men and women. PSPS-BI showed good preliminary evidence as a reliable and accurate measure that seems to offer new possibilities to the research field of body image and eating-related difficulties.     

The Association Between Strength of Religious Faith and Psychological Functioning

Recently researchers have begun examining the benefit of religious faith on mental and physical health outcomes. This study examined the relationship between religious faith and psychological functioning in 342 university students in diverse educational and geographic settings including a private West Coast Catholic college (sample 1), a Southern public state university (sample 2), and a Southern private Baptist college (sample 3). Participants completed several self-report measures. Strength of religious faith was significantly associated with optimism and experiencing meaning in life among sample 1. Results from sample 2 suggest that strength of religious faith was significantly associated with coping with stress, optimism, experiencing meaning in life, viewing life as a positive challenge, and low anxiety. Strength of religious faith was significantly associated with viewing life as a positive challenge and self-acceptance among sample 3. Although modest correlations surfaced, results suggest that strength of religious faith is associated with several important positive mental health benefits among college students.     

Religious and Psychological Implications of Positive and Negative Religious Coping in Iran

This study examined the religious and psychological implications of religious coping in Iran. University students (N = 224) responded to the Brief Positive and Negative Religious Coping Scales along with measures of Religious Orientation, Integrative Self-Knowledge, Self-Control, Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Self-Esteem, Guilt, Shame, and Self-Criticism. As in previous research elsewhere, Positive Religious Coping was stronger on average than Negative Religious Coping, and Positive and Negative Religious Coping predicted adjustment and maladjustment, respectively, In addition, this study demonstrated that direct relationships between Positive and Negative Religious Coping appeared to be reliable in Iran; that Positive Religious Copings was broadly compatible with, and Negative Religious Coping was largely irrelevant to, Iranian religious motivations; and that Negative Religious Coping obscured linkages of Positive Religious Coping with religious and psychological adjustment.     

Religious Support,Motives for Having Large Families,and Psychological Functioning Among Religious Jewish Mothers

The effects of religious support, maternal motivations for having large families, and their interactions on psychological functioning were assessed in a sample of 79 religious Israeli Jewish mothers of six or more children. Religious support from religious leaders, community, and G-d—as well as faith-focused maternal motivation—were all positively related to adaptive psychological functioning. In contrast, self-focused maternal motivation was negatively related to adaptive functioning. Moreover, religious support and maternal motivation were both related to psychological functioning even after controlling for social support. Finally, several significant interactions between religious support and maternal motivation emerged and are also discussed.     

Breast Cancer in Men: A Need for Psychological Intervention

Male breast cancer is a serious issue that needs to be addressed more fully by the medical and public community. However, due to a lack of awareness and limited research on the topic, there is a general absence of knowledge concerning the psychological implications of this disease in men as well as a need for greater understanding of the medical diagnosis and treatment of male breast carcinoma. Similarly, there still remains a considerable gender difference between the awareness of female breast cancer and male breast cancer Although breast cancer in men makes up only 1% of all breast cancers reported in the United States, it is increasing in incidence. There are approximately 2000 new cases and approximately 450 deaths due to male breast cancer each year. Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in men is very similar to that described in women, however, it has been shown that men are being diagnosed at a later stage of the disease than women.     

Alchemy as a Psychological Model

In Part I, this article traces the history of how Jung came to his realization that alchemy was a precursor for his concept of individuation. This includes his key dream of 1926, which he only slowly understood; a Short History of Alchemy; and how Jung was finally able to Bring Order out of Chaos. Part II examines the key elements of Jung's great late work, Mysterium Coniunctionis. This includes the Conjunction of Opposites; Personification of Opposites; Nature of the Conjunction; the Alchemical Creation Myth; and an amplification of each of The Three Unions: (1) the unio mentalis, or mental union; (2) the union of the mind with the body; and (3) the union of the mind and body with the unus mundus, or unitary reality.     

略谈宗教学的起源与发展

本文回顾了19世纪宗教学产生之前人类对宗教问题的探索和关注。在宗教学作为一门独立的人文学科形成之后,学者们讨论了宗教的本质、起源和分类等问题,并发展了多角度的宗教学研究方法,使这门学科渐趋完善。     

The Need for a Continuum of Trauma Services

Summary

Since September 2000, residents of Israel have experienced a prolonged period of terrorist attacks that shows no sign of abating. The ramifications of the ongoing trauma permeate every facet of life. Since existing services provided by government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are unable to meet the needs that have emerged, the Continuum of Trauma Services (CTS) was developed for victims of terrorist attacks, their families, friends, emergency and mental health professionals and the community at large. This article also describes the Israel Trauma Coalition and its interest groups, which may be seen as the embodiment of an evolving CTS.     

从社会医学角度整体地关照病人的需要

医学模式代表了三个主要历史时代发生的特征性变化,这三个时代是前工业化时代,工业时代及我们目前正在步入的后工业化时代,需要讨论的是,如果要展开真正有效的社会医学实践,不仅医学知识,并且医务人员必须经历一个根本的转变,从历史上看,医生学到的是将医学界定为应用生物学及将疾病界定为机体器官,组织的结构和功能的不正常。但社会科学观点可以帮助医生认识病和症的区别,即它们仅仅是在病理心理学过程与病人的实际疾病的体验之间上有所区别。