Developments in research in personality assessment

Progress in personality research requires an adequate data analysis link between concepts of what people are like and observations of how they are likely to behave. Advances in computer technology have strengthened this link but also have made it necessary for investigators to be wary of lack of selectivity and trivialization in their research designs.     

Predisposition factors in anorexia nervosa.

Since its first recognition, a number of researchers have endeavored to link anorexia nervosa to underlying pathology. For example, in the past, attempts were made to associate anorexia with such psychiatric disturbances as schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive and antisocial personality disorders. Most recent efforts have focused on the possible link between anorexia nervosa and affective disorders. This article reviews the literature concerned with investigating psychiatric disturbances and genetic variables hypothesized as predisposing factors in the etiology of anorexia nervosa. Particular emphasis is given to research which discusses the association between anorexia nervosa and depression. Psychopharmacological evidence and family genetics studies are reviewed. Suggestions for future research are also made.     

心理理论和语言发展的关系

大量的研究表明心理理论和语言之间存在着密切的关系,但具体关系如何,一直存在争议。文章介绍了心理理论和语言关系的新近研究,着重阐述了目前关于二者关系的两种观点： （1）心理理论和语言发展之间不仅是早期揭示的一般相关关系,而是可能存在着因果关系——或以语言为因,或以心理理论为因;（2）心理理论和语言都受第三种因素影响,如执行功能和生长环境,但这些因素是究竟如何影响心理理论和语言发展的,还需深入探讨。文章最后对该领域今后的研究提出了新的见解和思路,包括对不同语言能力间的比较研究,对二者关系的跨文化研究和毕生取向研究等     

Qualitative approaches to research in counselling and psychotherapy: Issues and challenges

There has been a significant growth in interest in qualitative approaches to research in counselling and psychotherapy. Qualitative researchers in this field have begun to apply methods originally developed in disciplines such as sociology, anthropology and cultural studies. There are, however, a number of distinctive dilemmas and challenges associated with qualitative approaches to inquiry into the processes and outcomes of counselling. A set of key issues are discussed: relationships with research participants, ethics, reflexivity, methodological choice, communicability, perspective and obviousness. Some suggestions are made regarding the link between qualitative research and counselling practice.     

Symptom overreporting and dissociative experiences: A qualitative review

We discuss a phenomenon that has received little attention to date in research on dissociative phenomena, namely that self-reports of these phenomena overlap with the tendency to overendorse eccentric items. We review the literature documenting the dissociation-overreporting link and then briefly discuss various interpretations of this link: (1) overreporting is an artifact of measuring dissociative symptoms; (2) dissociative psychopathology engenders overreporting of eccentric symptoms through fantasy proneness or impairments in internal monitoring; (3) an overreporting response style as is evident in malingerers, for example, promotes reports of dissociative symptoms. These three interpretations are not mutually exclusive. Also, the dissociation-overreporting link may have different origins among different samples. Because overreporting may introduce noise in datasets, we need more research specifically aimed at disentangling the dissociation-overreporting link. We suggest various avenues to accomplish this goal.     

An Examination of the Relationship Between Characteristics of Sect-Like Religiosity and Community Volunteering Among U.S. Churchgoers

Previous research indicates a robust relationship between religious participation and volunteering. However, religion is a multidimensional phenomenon and relatively few studies have examined the effects that different types of religiosity have on the likelihood of volunteering. In this article I extend our understanding of the link between religion and volunteering by examining the effect that several characteristics associated with sect-like religiosity have on the likelihood of community volunteering among U.S. churchgoers. My findings indicate a more nuanced relationship between volunteering and religious belonging, practice, and experience than previous studies have shown. Density of congregational friendship networks and frequency of evangelism are found to increase the likelihood of volunteering through and for religious congregations while supernatural experiences and frequency of evangelism are found to increase the likelihood of volunteering outside of the congregation. Religious strictness is found to decrease the likelihood of volunteering outside of the congregation. Implications for our understanding of the link between religion and volunteering are discussed as well as directions for future research.     

Concept learning and feature interpretation

Models of categorization often assume that people classify new instances directly on the basis of the presented, observable features. Recent research, however, has suggested that the coherence of a category may depend in part on more abstract features that can link together observable features that might otherwise seem to have little similarity. Thus, category learning may also involve the determination of the appropriate abstract features that underlie a category and link together the observable features. We show in four experiments that observable features of a category member are often interpreted as congruent with abstract features that are suggested by observable features of other highly available category members. Our discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for future research.     

关于脑器官库建立的哲学思考

脑器官库是进行神经科学研究物质基础,是联系临床医生和神经科学家的重要纽带。其资料库的内容,即捐献者的生前因素（年龄、性别、节律与季节变化。药物史和濒死状态）和死后因素（死后延搁时间及组织的固定和储存方式）对实验结果所产生的影响,不仅在神经科学研究中具有重要作用,而且为脑科学研究提供了一些值得思考的哲学问题。     

Media violence and the American public. Scientific facts versus media misinformation.

Fifty years of news coverage on the link between media violence and aggression have left the U.S. public confused. Typical news articles pit researchers and child advocates against entertainment industry representatives, frequently giving equal weight to the arguments of both sides. A comparison of news reports and scientific knowledge about media effects reveals a disturbing discontinuity: Over the past 50 years, the average news report has changed from claims of a weak link to a moderate link and then back to a weak link between media violence and aggression. However, since 1975, the scientific confidence and statistical magnitude of this link have been clearly positive and have consistently increased over time. Reasons for this discontinuity between news reports and the actual state of scientific knowledge include the vested interests of the news, a misapplied fairness doctrine in news reporting, and the failure of the research community to effectively argue the scientific case.     

Untapped Potential: Psychologists Leading Research in Clinical Practice

Enhancing the capacity of allied health professionals to engage in research is central to improving healthcare delivery. Psychologists have research skills given their training focus that emphasises the scientist‐practitioner model. We aimed to investigate among psychologists the link between individual research capacity and their current level of research activity, how this compares with other allied health professions, and the role of team and organisation research capacity. Psychologists (n = 60) working in clinical roles in a large metropolitan public health setting completed an online survey consisting of the validated Research Capacity and Culture tool, and questions related to current research activities, barriers, and motivators. The results indicated that psychologists reported relatively high individual research capacity, higher than both team and organisation levels, and greater individual research capacity compared with studies of dietitians and a mixed group of allied health. Preliminary findings suggested that team research capacity mediated the link between individual research capacity and the level of current research activity. Finally, barriers and motivators to research activity were similar compared with studies of other allied health professions. Overall, a multi‐strategy approach that focuses on and facilitates practice‐based and interdisciplinary research, and enhances the leadership skills of psychologists in research, as well as broader efforts from an organisational perspective to build a strong and sustainable research culture, may contribute to the rapid use of research skills in clinical practice and improve health and healthcare delivery.     

Running away from unwanted feelings: Culture matters

Findings from past research have suggested a link between experiential avoidance and expressive suppression. However, there is emerging evidence showing that the suppression of emotional expression may have different meanings depending on the specific cultural context. Taking a cultural perspective, the present study aimed to examine whether the link between experiential avoidance and expressive suppression is comparable or divergent between two cultural groups [i.e., European Americans (EAs) and Chinese (CH)] with different cultural norms surrounding emotional expression. We hypothesised that the positive association between experiential avoidance and expressive suppression typically found among EAs would be attenuated among CH. Furthermore, the observed cultural group difference in the experiential avoidance–suppression link was hypothesised to be mediated by beliefs in emotional self-control. Data from 224 EA college students and 190 CH college students provided a clear pattern of support for our hypotheses. Implications for current theories on experiential avoidance are discussed.     

SOME EFFECTS OF PROCEDURAL VARIATIONS ON CHOICE RESPONDING IN CONCURRENT CHAINS

The present research used pigeons in a three‐key operant chamber and varied procedural features pertaining to both initial and terminal links of concurrent chains. The initial links randomly alternated on the side keys during a session, while the terminal links always appeared on the center key. Both equal and unequal initial‐link schedules were employed, with either differential or nondifferential terminal‐link stimuli across conditions. The research was designed to neutralize initial‐ and terminal‐link spatial cues in order to gain a clearer understanding of the roles of conditioned reinforcement and delayed primary reinforcement in choice. With both equal and unequal initial links and with differential terminal‐link stimuli, all pigeons reliably preferred the chain with the shorter terminal link. However, with equal initial links and nondifferential stimuli, all pigeons were indifferent. With unequal initial links and nondifferential stimuli, some pigeons were also indifferent, while others actually reversed and preferred the chain with the shorter initial link, even though it was followed by the longer terminal link. The decrease if not reversal of the previous preferences implies that preferences in concurrent chains are a function of the conditioned reinforcement afforded by terminal‐link stimuli, rather than delayed primary reinforcement.     

Sensory-motor deficits in children with developmental coordination disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autistic disorder

Children who have been diagnosed with any one developmental disorder are very likely to meet diagnostic criteria for some other developmental disorder. Although comorbidity has long been acknowledged in childhood disorders, little is understood about the mechanisms that are responsible for the high level of comorbidity. In a series of studies, we have investigated the link between sensory-motor deficits and developmental disorders. Poor sensory-motor integration has long been implicated as a cause of motor problems in developmental disorders such as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and our recent research has also investigated sensory-motor deficits in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic disorder. Based on a critical examination of relevant literature and some of our recent research findings, we argue that the importance of poor sensory-motor functioning in discriminating children with different disorders has been underestimated. Poor sensory-motor coordination appears to be linked to DCD, but not ADHD. Also, sensory-motor deficits in children with DCD and autistic disorder may provide insight into some of the social difficulties found in these groups of children. This research will increase our understanding of why children with one developmental disorder typically also have problems in other areas.     

EMPIRICALLY DERIVED INJURY PREVENTION RULES

This study describes a set of empirically derived safety rules that if followed, would have prevented the occurrence of minor injuries. Epidemiologists have criticized behavioral interventions as increasing “safe” behavior but failing to demonstrate a decrease in injury. The present study documents retrospectively the link between safe behavior and injury. It demonstrates that these empirically derived rules are very similar to rules for the prevention of serious injury. The study also shows that these rules are not widely accepted and implemented by parents. Suggestions for future research in this area are advanced.     

The Relationship Between Self-Control,Witnessing Domestic Violence,and Subsequent Violence

The notion that violence begets violence is well accepted. Less clear are the precise factors that link together child violence and adult violence in an individual's life course. This study examines the role that self-control has in linking together exposure to violence in a child's life and subsequent violence in that individual's life. A telephone survey with 375 residents in Southeastern Virginia was conducted. Attention is given to whether those who saw their parents fight are more likely to (1) have a low self-control and (2) report having experienced violence either as an offender or a victim. Results suggest that witnessing violence is not related to self-control, and those who witnessed violence were less likely to have subsequent experiences with partner abuse. Further, we found that low self-control has a link with partner abuse. Implications for theory, policy, and future research are provided.     

Traumatic Stress and Religion: Is there a Relationship? A Review of Empirical Findings

Based on a history of close conceptual link, empirical studies are beginning to accumulate that investigate the relationship between trauma and religion. A review of empirical studies that examined the relationship between religion/spirituality and PTSD showed mixed findings (n = 11). Though the direction of association varied among studies, all but one study reported significant associations between the two. Factors that might have contributed to the mixed findings are discussed (e.g., measurements, research design). Overall, these results appear to be encouraging toward confirming the conceptual link between religion and trauma. Further research investigating the direction of causation and possible moderators of the association may contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between trauma and religion.Yung Chen, Ph.D. was a research fellow at Duke University Medical Center, and is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point.Harold Koenig, M.D. is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center.     

Action and language: Contextual action theory in counselling

Contextual action theory is presented as a conceptual framework useful for grounding the recent work in counselling and career development called Life Design. Based on the premise of the goal-directed nature of human action, this approach has links to language in theories of naive action and attribution, and theory of mind. Contextual action theory has an associated research method that has been used to generate a range of research studies that have described actions and projects in the career development and counselling domains. The link that contextual action theory provides between research and practice allows the identification of five tasks for the counselling practitioner informed by this approach.     

Music and Suicidality: A Quantitative Review and Extension

This article provides the first quantitative review of the literature on music and suicidality. Multivariate logistic regression techniques are applied to 90 findings from 21 studies. Investigations employing ecological data on suicide completions are 19.2 times more apt than other studies to report a link between music and suicide. More recent and studies with large samples are also more apt than their counterparts to report significant results. Further, none of the studies based on experimental research designs found a link between music and suicide ideation, prompting us to do a brief content analysis of 24 suicide songs versus 24 nonsuicide songs from the same album. Using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software, we found no difference in the content of the suicide songs and controls, including the percentage of sad words, negative affect, and mentions of death, thus providing an explanation for nonfindings from experimental research. In summary, ecologically based (which capture at‐risk persons not in typical school‐based samples) and more recent investigations (which have used superior or new methodologies) tend to demonstrate a linkage between music and suicidality. Experimental research is needed with a control group of songs from an alternative genre with low suicidogenic content.     

Dual on-line computers for research in cognitive psychophysiology

A laboratory configuration is described in which two compatible minicomputers are used to collect psychophyiological data and to generate a complex visual display. The two computers are part of independent systems used by different research groups for psychophysiological experimentation and cognitive reaction time research. With minimal additional requirements, however, it is possible to link the function of the two machines and greatly expand experimental possibilities. Two real-time applications are discussed, as well as other advantages of having compatible processors, such as simplified program development.     

初中生应对方式、压力对社会适应的影响:纵向中介模型

青春期的适应问题及其影响因素历来是研究者关注的焦点。本研究对369名初中生从初一到初三的应对方式、压力、社会适应进行了四次调查,通过纵向中介模型考察应对方式、压力对社会适应的影响。结果表明：初一时期的积极应对方式能够直接提高初三时期的积极适应水平,直接降低消极适应水平;初一时期的消极应对方式会通过提高后期的压力间接提高初三时期的消极适应水平。