New Age Beliefs and Societal Risk Perception1

The New Age movement is a transpersonal movement focused on mystic awakening and human potential development. It has become an important component in modern risk discourse, as it often goes hand in hand with technology opposition and worries about technology risks. The present study examined the possible relationships between New Age beliefs and societal risk perception. It was shown that several hazards—particularly the ones at the center of current debates about security policies and environmental policies—were perceived as significantly riskier by the New Agers than by others. These (hot) hazards include nuclear waste storage, chemical plants, urban violence, genetically engineered organisms, marijuana, and hospital waste.     

The Effect of Secrecy and Social Support on Behavioral Problems in Children of Incarcerated Women

We investigated the effects of secrecy regarding their mothers' incarceration and social support on behavioral problems in a group of 116 children (aged 6–13 years, M = 9.00). Children with low levels of social support had more externalizing and internalizing problems, and children who had experienced more life stressors reported more internalizing problems. Significant interactions indicated that both externalizing and internalizing problem scores were higher for children whose social support was poor and secrecy scores were low. Our findings suggest that for children already suffering from little or no support from key people, having little or no constraints regarding talking about mothers' incarceration places children at risk for developing behavioral problems. We discuss explanations for the findings and implications for caregivers.     

Adolescents' Attitudes to Nuclear Power and Radioactive Wastes1

High school students (N= 380) reported their attitude to nuclear power and rated various risks: nuclear and non-nuclear, personal and societal. The focus of the study concerned risks related to handling and disposal of radioactive waste. It was found that conventional personal risks obtained lower risk ratings than risks to society and risks related to accidents in the handling and disposal of radioactive waste. In general, items which made reference to radiation were rated higher than items which did not mention this aspect. Female students most often rated risk higher than did male students. Persons worried about nuclear power emphasized risks of accidents and waste disposal as problems, whereas those who did not worry trusted those in charge and saw nuclear power as quite safe, stressing its basis in advanced technological knowledge and skill. Students specializing in economics or technology were the least concerned about nuclear power risks and had the most positive attitudes to nuclear power. The results of the study are discussed in relation to risk perception discrepancies of experts and the public. We suggest that future experts will be recruited from groups that have, already in adolescence, established beliefs about nuclear technology risks that are lower than those of other groups. Compared to a national sample dominated by adults, the adolescents, especially boys, held more positive attitudes to nuclear power and rated risks of nuclear technology lower than adults.     

Reaching out in a climate of negativity: perceptions and persistence among Muslim sources engaging with news media

The conceptions sources have of journalists influence whether and in what ways those sources engage with the news media. In this paper, I consider the contribution of Muslim sources to news in a context of perceived negativity. Scholarship on the content of British news stories about Muslims has found a consistently negative tone; my study examines the impressions of sources as co-producers of that content. My data come from qualitative fieldwork conducted in Glasgow, Scotland, studying relationships between journalists and Muslim sources through a combination of methods, with an emphasis on interviews. In these interviews, sources articulated an overwhelmingly negative conception of journalists and news organisations. I consider different constructions of negativity and what they suggest about how participants perceive the media, and I problematise the minority instances of positive conceptions. Finally, I evaluate why sources who identify as Muslim would bother participating in media production, given this perception of negativity. This discussion is informed by Couldry’s concept of ‘media meta-capital’ (Couldry 2003), which a macro-level power that imposes other fields of public life, and Schlesinger’s attentiveness to source strategies (Schlesinger 1990), a form of agency at the micro-level. This case study suggests that, whatever sources think of media coverage, their choice to contribute to its production is conditioned by strategic considerations, revealing development in the media’s relations with Muslims in Britain.     

Questioning nuclear waste substitution: a case study

This article looks at the ethical quandaries, and their social and political context, which emerge as a result of international nuclear waste substitution. In particular it addresses the dilemmas inherent within the proposed return of nuclear waste owned by Japanese nuclear companies and currently stored in the United Kingdom. The UK company responsible for this waste, British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL), wish to substitute this high volume intermediate-level Japanese-owned radioactive waste for a much lower volume of much more highly radioactive waste. Special focus is given to ethical problems that they, and the UK government, have not wished to address as they move forward with waste substitution. The conclusion is that waste substitution can only be considered an ethical practice if a set of moderating conditions are observed by all parties. These conditions are listed and, as of yet, they are not being observed.     

Risk perception and the location of a repository for spent nuclear fuel

This study investigates lay people's reactions to a repository for nuclear waste. Risk perception is seen as a complex concept, comprising both affective and cognitive components. Attitude towards nuclear power and trust in experts and authorities had a substantial impact on risk perception, while personal knowledge about nuclear waste disposal had no effect. Thus, the more positive one's attitude towards nuclear power is and the more trust one has in experts and authorities, the lower one's risk perception is. Also, reactions were expected to vary with distance between the home district and the location of a repository. These variations differed in nature for people with alternative levels of risk judgement. The distance between the home and a repository affected approval of the proposed site. Distance between home and repository also had an effect on risk feelings and somewhat less on beliefs about consequences. Estimated total risk was directly mediated by beliefs about consequences, but even more so by risk feelings. With regard to risk, one can conclude that it is important to make a distinction between an emotional and a cognitive component of risk perception.     

Reporting daily and critical events: journalists’ perceptions of coping and savouring strategies,and of organizational support

Although journalists are increasingly being viewed by scientific research as an at-risk occupational group, there is still little knowledge on their strategies for dealing with occupational stressors, in both daily work settings and in critical scenarios, and on the support provided by the media organizations. Taking the occupational stress model as a framework, 25 Portuguese journalists, experienced in reporting critical events, were interviewed on their perceptions of the coping and savouring strategies they use, as well as of their organizations’ support in daily work and critical events. Differences among these variables, according to deployment frequency to critical events were statistically analysed. The data content analysis showed that emotion-focused coping strategies were the most frequently mentioned for both settings, whereas savouring strategies were only referred to for critical events. Perceptions of coping strategies were four times more frequent than those of savouring, and the need for organizational support was especially stressed. Significant differences were identified in all variables according to the number of deployments to critical events. These findings may contribute to a reflection on the role of media organizations in promoting journalists’ occupational health in both settings. The article closes by suggesting directions for future studies.     

On Human Survival: Reflections on Survival Research and Survival Policies

A new academic discipline, Survival Research, is proposed to investigate how the survival of the human species and its civilizations can be assured. Today nuclear weapons, overpopulation, and the deteriorating environment threaten our future. These phenomena are interconnected, and must be considered together in their complexity in an interdisciplinary manner. Some major obstacles to a wider awareness of the problems and solutions are described. Survival issues, primarily ecological ones, have lately lost ground, especially in the United States. It is essential that those still concerned, especially teachers and journalists, be informed about the problems and the urgency for finding solutions.     

Journalistic bias toward new religious movements in Australia

Earlier research in America and elsewhere has shown considerable bias and misinformation in media coverage of so‐called “new religions”; (sometimes referred to as ‘cults'). This paper reports mostly qualitative research which raises questions about the overall objectivity and neutrality of journalists covering such groups. The paper includes discussion of specific episodes of media bias concerning new and minority religions in Australia, as well as other research from that country. A situation which involved an Australian journalist facing ethics charges in relation to a story written about a number of groups referred to as ‘cults’ is included, as a development with implications about how journalists treat such phenomena.     

Coping with traumatic stress in journalism: a critical ethnographic study

Journalists who witness trauma and disaster events are at risk for physical, emotional, and psychological injury. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a critical ethnographic study among 31 Canadian journalists and photojournalists with regard to coping strategies used to buffer the effects of being exposed to trauma and disaster events and work-related stress. The findings are the result of in-depth individual interviews and six workplace observations with journalists across Canada. The most commonly reported coping strategies were: avoidance strategies at work, use of black humor, controlling one's emotions and memories, exercise and other physical activities, focusing on the technical aspects, and using substances. Recommendations for addressing the effects of work-related stress within this population are provided.     

From Treasure to Trash: The Lingering Value of Technological Artifacts

Science and Engineering Ethics - Electronic waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing form of waste worldwide, associated with a range of environmental, health, and justice problems. Unfortunately,...     

Children's intellectual and emotional-behavioral adjustment at 4 years as a function of cocaine exposure,maternal characteristics,and environmental risk

The authors examined 223 children at age 4 years for the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure, exposure to other substances, maternal and environmental risk factors, and neonatal medical problems on IQ, externalizing problems, and internalizing problems. Regression analyses showed that maternal verbal IQ and low environmental risk predicted child IQ. Cocaine exposure negatively predicted children's overall IQ and verbal reasoning scores, but only for boys. Cocaine exposure also predicted poorer short-term memory. Maternal harsh discipline, maternal depressive symptoms, and increased environmental risk predicted externalizing problems. In contrast, only maternal depressive symptoms predicted internalizing problems. These findings indicate that early exposure to substances is largely unrelated to subsequent IQ or adjustment, particularly for girls.     

What is the Meaning of Greening? Cultural Analysis of a Southern Baptist Environmental Text

Scholars and journalists alike interpreted “A Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change”, a document released in 2008 by a group of American Southern Baptists, as evidence that American evangelicals were becoming increasingly concerned about the environment. Using the tools of textual analysis, I show that this was not the only interpretation of the document at play. While journalists and scholars understood the Declaration as addressing the need to halt climate change, for a group of key Southern Baptist signatories, the document expressed a need for Southern Baptists to engage more actively in the public environmental discourse, lest they relinquish this domain to secular and liberal voices. Critically, the latter group viewed the Declaration as compatible with climate scepticism. My analysis shows how cultural context informs climate change attitudes, while also suggesting socio-historical factors—particularly evangelicals’ embattled mentality—that may support climate change scepticism in Southern Baptist circles.     

The Relations Between Secrecy,Rejection Sensitivity and Autonomy-Connectedness

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of two attachment-related variables on secrecy: rejection sensitivity and autonomy-connectedness. We hypothesized that rejection sensitivity is positively associated with secrecy, and autonomy-connectedness negatively with rejection sensitivity and secrecy. These hypotheses were generally corroborated in a sample of 303 university students. Moreover, we found that autonomy-connectedness at least partly explained the association between rejection sensitivity and secrecy. Self-awareness was negatively related to secrecy, suggesting that being aware of what one needs and thinks and being able to realize one's needs in social interactions reduce the tendency to keep secrets. In addition, interesting gender effects were found suggesting that men have a higher tendency to have secrets than women after controlling for the effects of autonomy-connectedness and rejection sensitivity. Our findings deepen the insight into possible reasons behind established associations between rejection sensitivity and secrecy, and may have clinical implications.     

Traumatische Erfahrungen und Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung bei Journalisten

A questionnaire study on work-related trauma of journalists was conducted on the internet. 61 journalists (22 women) provided information about the type and frequency of highly stressful assignments and traumatic life events, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PCL-C), depression (CES-D) and coping style (emotional competence, FAPK, 3; sense of coherence, SOC). 46% of the participants lived in the USA, 41% in Europe; their mean age was 37 years and they had an average job experience of 13 years. They reported an average of 81 assignments in which they had been confronted with seriously injured, dying or dead persons or had worked at the risk of their own life. 13% had developed a full and 15% a partial post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Compared to less disturbed individuals, the participants with (full or partial) PTSD reported significantly more often about violence in their original families, depressive symptoms and deficiencies in their emotional competence.     

Improving the Scientist/Journalist Conversation

How well do scientists communicate to members of the mass media? A communication scholar reviews potential barriers to the essential dialogue necessary between those in the sciences and journalists who report science to the public. Suggestions for improving communication within this relationship, in spite of professional process differences, are offered, emphasizing adherence to shared ethical standards.     

Popular Politics and the Clinton/Lewinsky Affair: The Implications for Leadership

The Clinton/Lewinsky scandal unfolded in an era of "new media" politics that presented fresh and often unanticipated challenges for presidential leadership. New media actors, such as call-in talk radio and TV hosts, tabloid journalists, and Internet gossip columnists, played a significant role in scandal politics. They influenced the framework within which stories were reported and perceived by the public. New media channels, in particular, framed the events leading up to the presidential impeachment in terms of dramatic, prime time–style entertainment. This entertainment news frame allowed citizens to compartmentalize their perceptions of President Clinton as a leader versus a private individual involved in a sex scandal. Media Politics can explain, at least in part, President Clinton's strong job performance evaluations in the midst of one of the most publicized political scandals of the century.     

In Defence of Entrapment in Journalism (and Beyond)

The use of 'proactive' methods of newsgathering in journalism is very frequently condemned, from within and without the media. I argue that such condemnation is too hasty. In the first half of the paper, I develop a test which distinguishes between legitimate and illegitimate uses of proactive methods by law enforcement agencies. This test combines the virtues of the standard objective and subjective tests usually used, while avoiding the defects of both. I argue that when proactive methods pass this test, they are always legitimate; but that in addition they are sometimes mandatory. In the second half, I apply this test to journalism. I show that actual uses of proactive methods by journalists pass the test, and are therefore (at least) permissible. There are other ethical considerations which are relevant to the use of such techniques by journalists, which ought to be taken into account before it is decided to employ such methods, but I show that they are rarely of sufficient weight to render proactive newsgathering impermissible.     

个人信息的有意隐藏：藏秘及其后果和应对

藏秘在日常生活中十分常见, 但由于秘密的不公开性, 使得藏秘的研究发展缓慢。近年来学界主要关注藏秘的消极影响(如负担感及自我惩罚等), 而对藏秘的积极影响研究(如社会保护及亲社会谎言等)较少。学者们提出了秘密抑制模型、专注模型、持续性思维模型和共享现实理论等来解释消极影响的机制, 并发现通过吐露秘密、发挥创造性、训练情绪标记和自我意识等途径可以应对藏秘的消极影响。未来研究应对藏秘的概念做出更准确统一的界定, 并寻求更精准特定的测量与操纵方式, 探索藏秘的积极结果及影响机制, 深化藏秘的理论研究, 并推动藏秘研究在不同领域的应用。     

记者痛感共情能力初步研究

本研究考察了记者人群与非记者人群对疼痛共情能力的差异,探讨职业训练对人类共情能力的影响。30名记者和30名非记者为本研究被试,分别给予疼痛图片或无疼痛图片后,要求被试对其进行疼痛评定。结果发现两组被试对无疼痛图片的痛感指数没有显著差异,但记者组的痛感指数明显高于非记者组,且疼感指数与记者的从业时间呈现显著的正相关性。这些结果表明记者人群在痛感共情能力上显著升高。进一步调查研究发现相对于非记者人群,记者在与人交往过程中更为在意他人,表明这可能是导致记者共情能力升高的原因之一。本研究运用实验研究的方法首次提供了记者共情能力升高的证据,并对影响因素进行了初步探讨,将有助于丰富本领域以及职业对人类共情能力影响机制的研究。