Beyond Smiling: The Evaluation of a Positive Psychological Intervention Aimed at Student Happiness

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a positive psychological intervention (PPI) aimed at increasing happiness of students in a tertiary educational institution. A convenience sample (n = 20) was drawn from the entire population of academic third year students in the field of Industrial/Organisational psychology (n = 109). The majority of the participants were Sesotho speaking (45%), black (95%), female (90%), and 21 years of age (45%). A single group pre-, post-, and post-post-test design was used. The PPI stretched across eight months and was presented in two phases: (a) a three day self-development workshop and (b) six sessions of individual coaching. The intervention focused on facilitating development on two levels, namely a psychological (engagement, meaning, person-environment fit, autonomy, competence, relatedness and authenticity), and emotional (pleasure, affect balance and life satisfaction) level. Data were collected using the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Orientations to Happiness Questionnaire, Basic Psychological Needs Scale, the Authentic Self Inventory and Person-Environment Fit scale. The results indicated that the overall happiness of a student increased through developing individuals on both an emotional and psychological level. The PPI affected all the aspects conceptualised in this study, except for two components of authenticity. Therefore, a multi-dimensional approach towards PPIs aimed at happiness of students in a tertiary educational environment may contribute to happy students.     

Psychological Assessment Training in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs

We surveyed American Psychological Association–accredited clinical psychology doctoral programs' (n = 83) training in psychological assessment—specifically, their coverage of various assessment topics and tests in courses and practica, and whether the training was optional or required. We report results overall and separately per training model (clinical science, scientist-practitioner, and practitioner-focused). Overall, our results suggest that psychological assessment training is as active, or even more active, than in previous years. Areas of increased emphasis include clinical interviewing and psychometrics; multimethod, outcomes, health, and collaborative or therapeutic assessment; and different types of cognitive and self-report personality tests. All or almost all practice-focused programs offered training with the Thematic Apperception Test and Rorschach compared to about half of the scientist-practitioner programs and a third of the clinical science programs. Although almost all programs reported teaching multimethod assessment, what constitutes different methods of assessing psychopathology should be clarified in future studies because many programs appear to rely on one method—self-report (especially clinical science programs). Although doctoral programs covered many assessment topics and tests in didactic courses, there appears to be a shortage of program-run opportunities for students to obtain applied assessment training. Finally, we encourage doctoral programs to be familiar with (a) internships' assessment expectations and opportunities, (b) the professional guidelines for assessment training, and (c) the American Psychological Association's requirements for preinternship assessment competencies.     

Natural Dualities Through Product Representations: Bilattices and Beyond

This paper focuses on natural dualities for varieties of bilattice-based algebras. Such varieties have been widely studied as semantic models in situations where information is incomplete or inconsistent. The most popular tool for studying bilattices-based algebras is product representation. The authors recently set up a widely applicable algebraic framework which enabled product representations over a base variety to be derived in a uniform and categorical manner. By combining this methodology with that of natural duality theory, we demonstrate how to build a natural duality for any bilattice-based variety which has a suitable product representation over a dualisable base variety. This procedure allows us systematically to present economical natural dualities for many bilattice-based varieties, for most of which no dual representation has previously been given. Among our results we highlight that for bilattices with a generalised conflation operation (not assumed to be an involution or commute with negation). Here both the associated product representation and the duality are new. Finally we outline analogous procedures for pre-bilattice-based algebras (so negation is absent).     

Beyond the Biblical Impasse: Homosexuality Through the Lens of Theological Anthropology

Abstract: What does the Bible say about homosexuality? The argument developed in this article demonstrates that the five biblical texts often cited as “proof” that the Bible condemns homosexuality reflect a theological anthropology that is challenged within Scripture itself and that has been determined by the church to be contextual rather than binding in relation to other debated issues. By bringing the theological anthropology reflected in the five texts into conversation with contrasting biblical anthropologies, it becomes possible to re‐frame the contemporary conversation on homosexuality in terms of discerning which biblical theological anthropology will be considered authoritative for the church in the 21^st century.     

The Score Family Assessment Questionnaire: A Decade of Progress

This paper reviews a decade of research (2006–2016) on a family assessment instrument called the Systemic Clinical Outcome and Routine Evaluation (SCORE). The SCORE was developed in Europe to monitor progress and outcome in systemic therapy and has been adopted by the European Family Therapy Association as the main instrument for assessing the outcome in systemic family and couple therapy. There are currently six main versions of this instrument: SCORE‐40, SCORE‐15, SCORE‐28, SCORE‐29, Child SCORE‐15, and Relational SCORE‐15. It has also been translated into a number of European languages. Fifteen empirical studies of the SCORE “family of measures” have been conducted. Most have aimed to establish psychometric properties of these instruments in English and other languages. Others have used the SCORE to document the level of family adjustment in clinical samples or evaluate outcome in treatment trials. There is now sufficient evidence for the reliability and validity of the SCORE to justify the use of brief versions of this instrument to monitor progress and outcome in the routine practice of systemic therapy.     

Beyond resources: Formal models of complexity effects and age differences in working memory

We explore several alternative formal models of working memory capacity limits and of the effect of ageing on these capacity limits. Three models test variations of resource accounts, one assumes a fixed number of free slots in working memory, one is based on decay and processing speed, one attributes capacity limits to interference, and one to crosstalk between associations of content and context representations. The models are evaluated by fitting them to time–accuracy functions of 16 young and 17 old adults working on a numerical memory-updating task under varied memory-load conditions. With increasing complexity (i.e., memory load), both asymptotic accuracy and the rate of approach to the asymptote decreased. Old adults reached lower asymptotes with the more complex tasks, and had generally slower rates. The interference model and the decay model fit the individual time–accuracy functions reasonably well, whereas the other models failed to account for the data. Within the interference model, age effects could be attributed to the older adults' higher susceptibility to interference. Within the decay model, old adults differed from young adults by a higher degree of variability in the activation of working memory contents.     

Optimism as an Indicator of Psychological Health: Using Psychological Assessment Wisely

Healthy aspects of psychological functioning are often overlooked in traditional psychological assessment. When this happens, the client may become discouraged with his or her testing results, or perhaps worse, may feel that the assessor was not interested in obtaining a complete picture of who he or she is. Assessing healthy aspects of psychological functioning can be problematic, however; adding new instruments that only speak to one aspect of psychological functioning is not practical. A system is proposed in which one aspect of healthy psychological functioning--optimism--can be assessed using a standard projective test. Use of this scale can aid the assessor in conceptualizing the client's functioning and can also be a helpful tool to draw on in the course of treatment.     

"生态平衡":中国心理学研究突围的别一个方向

当下心理学研究出现的种种问题就其实质而言,是一种生态失衡现象,因此,心理学欲走向健康发展之轨道,应注重心理学研究的生态建设。     

Reclaiming the Person: Intersectionality and Dynamic Social Categories Through a Psychological Lens

Psychology’s conventionally treatment of individuals’ engagement with and resistance to the societal processes in which they are embedded has come under scrutiny amid the rise of postmodernist and critical feminist perspectives (among many others) in the social sciences. A sample of social psychology’s responses to these critiques is presented in the recently published book, Social Categories in Everyday Experience edited by Shaun Wiley et al. (2011). In this essay, the challenges of seriously addressing the critiques of psychology’s conventional treatment of social categories, which implicate fundamental assumptions of the discipline, are discussed. Further, it is argued that in order to effectively construct psychological accounts of political activism and social change amid theories that are increasingly cognizant of the complexities and contingencies of social embeddiness, the person must be reclaimed and revisioned. Notions of agency that complement an intersectional and systemic vision of the social world are discussed.     

Real and Virtual Clinical Trials: A Formal Analysis

Topoi - If well-designed, the results of a Randomised Clinical Trial (RCT) can justify a causal claim between treatment and effect in the study population; however, additional information might be...     

Beyond Emotional Intelligence at Work:: Adding Insight to Injury Through Group Psychotherapy

The author applies the popular concept of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) to the group treatment of work problems. Adding psychodynamic insight to the existing EQ dimension of understanding emotions and utilizing emotional awareness, helps patients improve their reactions to problematic situations and individuals. By focusing on discordant episodes that arise in group, the author employs a systematic approach to identifying unconscious contributors to diminished job performance. Methods for assessing deficits in EQ and for processing relevant group discords are described. Clinical illustrations are provided.     

From Intractable Conflict Through Conflict Resolution To Reconciliation: Psychological Analysis

Intractable intergroup conflicts require the formation of a conflictive ethos that enables a society to adapt to the conflict situation, survive the stressful period, and struggle successfully with the adversary. The formal termination of such a conflict begins with the elimination of the perceived incompatibility between the opposing parties through negotiation by their representatives—that is, a conflict resolution process. But this is only part of the long-term reconciliation process, which requires the formation of peaceful relations based on mutual trust and acceptance, cooperation, and consideration of mutual needs. The psychological aspect of reconciliation requires a change in the conflictive ethos, especially with respect to societal beliefs about group goals, about the adversary group, about the ingroup, about intergroup relations, and about the nature of peace. In essence, psychological reconciliation requires the formation of an ethos of peace, but this is extremely difficult in cases of intractable conflict. Political psychologists can and should work to improve the state of knowledge about reconciliation,which until now has received much less attention than conflict resolution.     

Beyond Abstinence: An Examination of Psychological Well-Being in Members of Narcotics Anonymous

While a growing body of literature supports the role of mutual help organizations in helping members achieve abstinence, fellowships other than Alcoholics Anonymous and outcomes beyond abstinence have been studied far less often. The current study examined recovery-related correlates of psychological well-being in a sample of Narcotics Anonymous (NA) members. Participants (N = 128) were self-identified NA members from across the United States who completed an online survey assessing an array of psychosocial outcomes. Hierarchical regression models assessed whether abstinence duration and other recovery-related variables accounted for significant incremental variance in psychological well-being, over and above several covariates. As a block, abstinence duration and the recovery predictors accounted for significant incremental variance in three of four psychological well-being domains. As a complement to studies on short-term benefits of mutual help organizations, these data suggest ongoing recovery involvement may be positively associated with subjective psychological well-being in NA members.     

Teaching Psychological Assessment: Training issues and Teaching Approaches

Clinical psychology graduate programs need to pay attention to important issues involved in teaching psychological assessment, if graduate students are to be adequately prepared. Recent studies have suggested a gap between academic training in psychological assessment and internship expectations. Graduate students are not as well prepared as many internship settings would like. In addition to learning the fundamentals, students need help in dealing with issues of categorizing individuals, using tests in helpful ways, taking responsibility for decision-making, and developing a balance between critical evaluation of tests and appreciation of their usefulness. Teaching approaches for dealing with these issues are discussed. The importance of academic and clinical agencies working together is stressed. Goals for graduate training in assessment are suggested.     

Cognitive Assessment: Clinical Applications of Self-Statement Assessment

The author presents an overview of cognitive assessment, with an emphasis on self-statement assessment. The overview includes the historical underpinnings of cognitive assessment and their connection with cognitive science. The author reviews clinically useful methods of cognitive assessment and presents the States of Mind model to illustrate an interpretive framework for thought data and their relationship to psychopathology. Next, the author presents two case studies to illustrate the specific techniques of self-statement assessment and the clinical utility of that information in the counseling process. Finally, the author reviews some issues that may provoke thought concerning the future of cognitive assessment.     

Sociology and the Twenty-First Century: Breaking the Deadlock and Going Beyond the Postmodern Meta-reflection Through the Relational Paradigm

The fact that sociology was born during the period of the Industrial Revolution does not authorize us to consider its discourse as lacking in philosophical elements that are rooted in a previous age. Neither can we consider as fully accomplished its role for modernity, nonetheless today, in an after-modern climate (in the sense of Donati 2009), sociology is trying to escape the prejudice of modern ethics to go beyond the clichés of postmodernity (Ardigò 1989 Ardigò, A. 1989. Per una sociologia oltre il post-moderno, Bari: Laterza.  [Google Scholar]). Filled with self-reflexivity and reductionist dichotomies, the twenty-first-century sociologist feels the need to “own factual reality again” and to rediscover “a new metaphysics of the social world” (Donati 1993). If self-consciousness is in the world, sociology, perhaps, has to go beyond science and turn into “globology” (Arnason 1990), or into a sociology on a global scale, which looks at how world unification has occurred. In order to accomplish this, it has to be careful about what it was able to do best in the past: “to foresee and to enhance sustainable change,” to be aware of the “relational connections,” which no mathematics will ever be able to show, to build new “memes,” and to decide to accelerate or to go against the phenomena it encounters in its observation. Society in the twenty-first century will go beyond postmodern stagnation and turn into something new (After-modernity? Hyper-modernity? Trans-modernity?) if it is to be helped by the interpretations of sociology. Notwithstanding the endeavors to change, most Westernized countries are trapped in the lib-lab model, while China argues for a complete reconfiguration of the concepts of public and private, states and market, freedom and controls, copyright and copyleft. What is going to happen in the future? Are we going to fall into a technocratic and authoritarian form of neo-modernization? Are we going to rediscover the system of exchanging gifts? Are we going to create a fully “relational” society, going beyond the Hegelian categories of right and left? It will be the role of a “strong and relational” sociology to identify all the “viable” scenarios and to prepare its advent in symbolic terms.