A computerized simulation for investigating gambling behavior during roulette play.

The present paper describes a computerized roulette program for the conducting of psychological research on gambling behavior. The program was designed to simulate an actual roulette game found in casinos and gambling riverboats throughout North America. The roulette program collects detailed trial-by-trial data on player/participant behavior that can easily be transferred into data analysis and graphics programs. This multimedia simulation was designed in the Visual Basic programming language, and it is capable of running on any IBM-compatible personal computer running the Windows 2000 or higher operating system.     

A computerized simulation for investigating gambling behavior during roulette play

The present paper describes a computerized roulette program for the conducting of psychological research on gambling behavior. The program was designed to simulate an actual roulette game found in casinos and gambling riverboats throughout North America. The roulette program collects detailed trial-by-trial data on player/participant behavior that can easily be transferred into data analysis and graphics programs. This multimedia simulation was designed in the Visual Basic programming language, and it is capable of running on any IBM-compatible personal computer running the Windows 2000 or higher operating system.     

Criminal thinking patterns, aggression styles, and the psychopathic traits of late high school bullies and bully-victims

This study explored the current psychological characteristics and criminal behavior history of individuals who retrospectively reported being bullies, bully-victims, victims, or controls (i.e. neither victims nor bullies) during their last 2 years of high school. College students (n = 960) completed measures of criminal thinking, aggression, psychopathy, and criminal behavior online. We predicted bullies and bully-victims would demonstrate the highest scores for criminal thinking, proactive aggression, psychopathy, and have the most criminal infractions. Bullies and bully-victims had significantly higher scores on criminal thinking, aggression, psychopathy, and criminal behaviors than victims or controls. Additionally, men were significantly higher in criminal thinking, aggression, psychopathy, and had more criminal acts than women. There were no gender by bully group interactions. Logistic regression analyses differentiated bully-victims from bullies. Bully-victims tended to be male, higher in criminal thinking, and higher in reactive aggression. In addition, bully-victims were distinct from victims, showing higher criminal thinking and higher proactive aggression.     

The relationship between impulsivity and suicide among rural youths aged 15–35 years: a case–control psychological autopsy study

In China, the gender ratio of suicide rates did not match the Western patterns, which was higher for females than males. However, the rural men were at relatively high risk of suicide in Liaoning province. Impulsivity was an important factor of suicide behaviors, but there was a lack of studies in China. This research aimed to study the relationship between impulsive personality traits and suicidal behavior among Chinese rural youths. Suicides were consecutively sampled from six randomly selected counties in Liaoning Province in China. Between 2005 and 2007, a total of 162 suicide victims were enrolled in the study along with 162 community controls matched for age, gender, and location. The psychological autopsy method was used to collect data from informants knowledgeable about the selected suicide victims and controls. The results showed the suicide victims in the study were more likely to demonstrate dysfunctional impulsivity and less likely to demonstrate functional impulsivity compared with the controls. Mental disorders, acute negative life events, and dysfunctional impulsivity contributed to the risk of suicide; educational and functional impulsivity were protective factors. Suicide prevention efforts in rural China may address impulsivity.     

Do just‐world believers practice private charity?

The relationship between belief in a just world and private charity was examined in a representative sample of 805 French people. Participants were given money for their participation to a survey research and had the opportunity to allocate a part of it to an organization supporting victims of aggression. A multiple regression analysis including a selection of relevant covariates indicated that just‐world beliefs provided a unique contribution to monetary generosity. The amount of money left for the organization supporting victims was higher among women, and was correlated with participant's age and educational level. This study contributes to the literature by providing for the first time a behavioral demonstration of the relationship between just‐world belief for self and altruistic behavior.     

Basic assumptions and symptoms of post-traumatic stress among victims of bullying at work

Results from several empirical studies suggest that many victims of bullying suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, few researchers have attempted to explain why exposure to bullying may result in severe trauma. Furthermore, no studies have related these symptoms to the victims' exposure to other distressing life events. The aims of this study were therefore to assess the prevalence and intensity of PTSD analogue symptomatology among a group of 118 victims of bullying at work. Second, we investigated whether victims of bullying who report being more affected by other distressing life events than by bullying were more likely to suffer PTSD analogue symptomatology. In accordance with Janoff-Bulman's cognitive theory of PTSD, a third aim was to investigate whether victims of bullying and non-bullied controls differ in their basic assumptions of themselves, others, and the world. Based on self-report measures, 76% of the victims portrayed symptoms indicating post-traumatic stress disorder. However, although 29% were found to meet all DSM-IV-TR criteria for PTSD, another 47% only failed to fulfil the A1 criterion, i.e., they did not report serious injuries or threats to their physical integrity while being bullied. Measurements of symptom severity scores indicated that 61.7% portrayed a moderate to severe or severe level of impairment, whereas 73.6% displayed a moderate or severe impairment in functioning. Compared with victims who failed to meet all or several diagnostic criteria for PTSD, a significantly higher percentage of the victims meeting all criteria reported feeling more negatively affected by an event other than bullying, indicating that exposure to other traumatic life events may increase victims' vulnerability. Finally, significant group differences on six out of eight basic assumptions were demonstrated between victims of bullying and non-bullied controls, indicating that exposure to bullying at work may result in increased negative views on self, others, and the world.     

Effect of personal involvement in traumatic events on memory: The case of the Dolphinarium explosion

The association between memories of the terrorist explosion at the Dolphinarium discotheque in Tel Aviv and the level of personal involvement in the explosion was investigated. Memories of injured victims, uninjured eyewitnesses, and uninvolved controls who learned about the explosion from the mass media were compared. It was expected that memory of the explosion would be most and least detailed and accurate among the victims and the controls, respectively. The participants responded to an open-ended question about the explosion, as well as to specific and multiple-choice questions. Data analyses showed that the victims and the eyewitnesses remembered more details than the controls, and that the victims remembered both central and peripheral details more accurately than the other participants. Degree of involvement in the same traumatic experience was thus shown to be differentially associated with memory accuracy.     

基于虚拟博弈任务对冒犯者得到宽恕后行为的研究:人格的调节作用

为探讨人格特质对得到宽恕与否与冒犯者后续行为之间关系的影响,基于虚拟的囚徒困境博弈范式,并结合人格问卷的测试,对369名大学生进行了研究。结果发现:(1)宽恕情境下的被试更倾向于不再伤害对方;(2)得到宽恕的程度与冒犯者善待对方的程度呈显著的正相关;(3)大五人格中的宜人性在得到宽恕与否与冒犯者后续行为之间关系中起调节作用,而大五人格的其他四个维度调节作用不显著;(4)特质性感恩在得到宽恕与否与冒犯者后续行为之间关系中起调节作用。据此可得出结论,冒犯者得到宽恕后更倾向于不再伤害被冒犯者,且受到部分人格特质的调节。     

Association between tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene polymorphism and completed suicide

The association between suicide and a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs1386483) was examined in the recently identified tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) gene. Blood samples of 143 suicide victims and 162 age- and sex-matched controls were examined. The frequency of the TT genotype in the TPH2 polymorphism was higher in suicide victims than in controls (17.5% vs. 8.6%; p = 0.02), particularly in those with a history of repeated suicide attempts (53.3% vs. 8.6%; p < 0.0001). The examined TPH2 polymorphism was found to be associated with suicide. This genetic marker may be particularly important in understanding risk of multiple suicide attempts. Further analyses are needed to confirm these results.     

University students' support for heterosexual women with AIDS

Support for a woman heterosexual AIDS victim was examined among 237 university students, 54% female and 54% upper division, with a mean age of 23.7 yr. A questionnaire containing one of four scenarios (AIDS resulting from unsafe sex, unsafe drug use, sex with an unfaithful husband, or a blood transfusion) measured support by people's willingness to sign or circulate a petition supporting the victim's right to attend college classes. A five-way mixed-design analysis of variance showed that victims who took risks received less support, that respondents were more willing to sign than to circulate a petition, and, while men did not discriminate among the four scenarios, women were most likely to offer support to "innocent" victims who contracted AIDS without sexual behavior. In addition, respondents who knew someone with AIDS were more likely to sign the petition. AIDS, particularly when contracted through risky behavior, is a disease with social ramifications beyond its threat to public health.     

Child victims: Searching for opportunities to break the cycle of violence

In 1986 I began research to address the relationship between early child abuse and neglect and later deliquent and violent criminal behavior using a prospective cohort design. The relationship is not inevitable, suggesting an opportunity for long-range violence prevention through appropriate early intervention. Here, I briefly describe how childhood victimization and violent criminal behavior are related and illustrate a number of promising strategies and opportunities to intervene. Finally, I offer five principles to guide interventions: (1) the earlier the intervention, the better; (2) don't neglect neglected children; (3) one size does not fit all; (4) surveillance—a double-edged sword; and (5) accessibility to resources. Rather than focusing on responses to child abuse or neglect in court proceedings that “treat” offenders, primary prevention efforts should target childhood victims to reduce their risk of becoming offenders in the future.     

Bullies,aggressive victims,and victims: Are they distinct groups?

This study analyzed a sample representing six middle schools that included 206 pure bullies, 514 pure victims, and 206 aggressive victims. Aggressive or provocative victims are students who have been bullied but also bully other students. This research assessed whether aggressive victims engaged in different patterns of behavior and had dissimilar socialization experiences than pure bullies and pure victims. Factors that were considered include measures of parental socialization, family conflict, reactive and proactive aggression, low self‐control, social bonds, and other relevant factors, including demographic characteristics. Logistic regression analyses indicated that aggressive victims engaged in significantly different patterns of behavior than pure victims and pure bullies. The analyses also indicated that the socialization experiences of middle school aggressive victims more closely resembled the socialization experiences of pure bullies than pure victims. Aggr. Behav. 00:00–00, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Child victims: Searching for opportunities to break the cycle of violence

In 1986 I began research to address the relationship between early child abuse and neglect and later deliquent and violent criminal behavior using a prospective cohort design. The relationship is not inevitable, suggesting an opportunity for long-range violence prevention through appropriate early intervention. Here, I briefly describe how childhood victimization and violent criminal behavior are related and illustrate a number of promising strategies and opportunities to intervene. Finally, I offer five principles to guide interventions: (1) the earlier the intervention, the better; (2) don't neglect neglected children; (3) one size does not fit all; (4) surveillance—a double-edged sword; and (5) accessibility to resources. Rather than focusing on responses to child abuse or neglect in court proceedings that “treat” offenders, primary prevention efforts should target childhood victims to reduce their risk of becoming offenders in the future.     

How do the victims respond to bullying?

Reactions to harassment of victims of bullying were studied. One issue was, what kind of behavior on the part of the victim is likely to a) make the others start or continue bullying or b) diminish bullying or put an end to it. Altogether 573 pupils (286 girls, 287 boys) from 11 Finnish schools served as subjects: 67 of them (33 girls, 34 boys) were identified as victims of bullying. Both peer- and self-evaluations were used as methods of the study. Three subscales, describing counteraggressive, helpless, and nonchalant behavioral responses to bullying were established on the basis of peer-evaluations of the victims' behavior. Three different subtypes of victims (the Counteraggressive, the Helpless, and the Nonchalant) were identified. Helplessness and nonchalance were found to be typical responses of the girl victims, while boy victims tended to react to bullying with counteraggression or nonchalance. The victims' self-evaluations of their behavior supported these views. Helplessness and counteraggression in the case of girl victims and counteraggression in the case of boy victims were perceived as making the bullying start or continue. The absence of helplessness in the case of girl victims, and nonchalance as well as the absence of counteraggression in the case of boy victims were perceived as making the bullying diminish or stop. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Self and peer nominations of bullying: An analysis of incident rates,individual differences,and perceptions of the working environment

Within workplace bullying research, the use of different criteria to identify victim samples, and a tendency to rely on self-reported victimization without including reports from other stakeholders have been considered major methodological problems associated with incidence studies (Cowie, Naylor, Rivers, Smith, & Pereira, 2002; Hoel, Rayner, & Cooper, 1999; Randall, 2001). Using diverse criteria to identify victim and perpetrator samples (such as self report, peer report, and self- and peer report), this study found rates of victimization and bullying varied quite considerably. Rates for victims ranged from 3.9% to 39.6% and for perpetrators from 2.7% to 19.3%. Differences in personality and perceptions of the organizational environment were then examined between victim/bully groups and a control sample. Results indicated that all victim samples differed significantly from controls on stability. However, self- and peer-reported victims differed significantly from controls on both the poised and relaxed subscales, whereas self-reported victims only differed significantly on the relaxed subscale. Additionally, self- and peer-reported victims were the only group that significantly differed from controls in their views of the negative aspects of the work environment. The notion that victim and perpetrator samples are not homogenous groups and considerations of why this is the case are discussed.     

“得寸进尺”还是“适可而止”:冒犯者得到宽恕以后的行为

对于冒犯者得到宽恕以后的行为,已有研究存矛盾之处,有研究认为冒犯者得到宽恕后会再次伤害被冒犯者,但也有研究认为会停止对对方的伤害。本研究通过囚徒困境范式研究冒犯者得到宽恕以后的行为。结果显示:(1)当对方是熟悉的人时,冒犯者在得到宽恕后更倾向于不再伤害对方;(2)当存在报复的可能性时,无论得到宽恕与否,冒犯者都不倾向于再次伤害对方;(3)当冒犯者是被迫伤害被冒犯者时,无论得到宽恕与否,其都不倾向于再次伤害对方。总体而言,冒犯者在得到宽恕后更倾向于不再伤害对方。该结果一定程度上澄清了以往研究的矛盾之处,并对人际互动具有一定的指导意义。。     

Alcohol,Fear, and Woman Abuse

Although there is ample evidence that alcoholusage is associated with greater frequency, incidenceand severity of spouse battering, there is alsoconsiderable evidence which does not support a direct linkage. This research investigates aheretofore neglected area, the role of substance use ininducing fear in victims. As part of a larger study ofthe police response to battering, 419 female victims of male offenders participated in intensiveinterviews; the sample consisted of 69.9% Black and28.9% White women. All the women had been victims of atleast one occurrence of misdemeanor-level abuse, and many were in chronically abusive relationships.The women participating in this study were moderatelyeducated and relatively young, with a mean age of 30years old. Relationship status was bimodal with roughly equal numbers of married and cohabitingcouples; there were relatively few who were divorced orseparated from their assailants, or were ex-cohabitants.The male partners of women represented in this sample were extremely heavy drinkerscompared to a national sample. The quantity andfrequency of alcohol use was less predictive ofthreatening or physically battering behavior than wasmale drunkenness. Frequent drunkenness was highly correlated withboth threats and with battering. Similarly, victims'fear of their partners was much more strongly associatedwith how frequently they were drunk than with drinking itself.     

CARACTÉRISTIQUES PSYCHOLOGIQUES DE LA PRISE DE RISQUE MONÉTAIRE DES JOUEURS ET DES NON-JOUEURS À LA ROULETTE*

This study compares different dimensions of the personality, the perception of control and risk-taking behavior of gamblers and non-gamblers exposed to American roulette. The analyses of the data revealed that no significant differences emerged among the two groups on personality or perception of control. Although gamblers started the game by stacking more money than non-gamblers, the latter rapidly bet as much as the regular gamblers. Furthermore, risk-taking behavior increased as the game progressed. The practical implications of the data are discussed in relation to the psychology of gambling.     

Gender differences in evaluating social-sexual conduct in the workplace

Qualitative interviews exploring gender differences in perceptions of sexual harassment were conducted with 100 full-time St. Louis area employees. Women more than men reported that telling dirty/sexual jokes was a non-harassing behavior, qualified behaviors as harassing when they happened in the workplace, and considered behaviors as non-harassing when the man's intentions were not harmful. Men more than women reported that requesting a date was a non-harassing behavior, qualified behaviors as harassing when the woman did not welcome the behavior, and considered behaviors as non-harassing when they did not violate workplace norms. Logistic regression analysis predicted the respondent gender with 86% accuracy. Finally, concept mapping suggested that when women think about harassers they are concerned with power and social aptitude, while men seem to be more concerned about the responsibility and psychological adjustment of perpetrators of sexual harassment. When women think about victims of harassment they are concerned with a woman's assertiveness and work effectiveness, while men are more concerned with the psychological state of the woman and how provocative she is when they think about victims of sexual harassment.