Forgiveness and mental health variables: Interpreting the relationship using an adaptational-continuum model of personality and coping

The present paper uses an adaptational-continuum model of personality, based on Ferguson’s (2001) health psychology model integrating Eysenck personality factors and coping style, to provide a context for examining the relationship between forgiveness and mental health. Three hundred and twenty respondents completed measures of personality, coping style, forgiveness (forgiveness of self, others, likelihood, presence of positive forgiveness, absence of negative forgiveness), general health, stress, positive and negative affect and life satisfaction. Among respondents, all measures of forgiveness, bar one, load negatively on a neuroticism-coping factor. The remaining measure of forgiveness (presence of positive forgiveness) loaded on an extraversion-coping factor. The relationship of the neuroticism-coping-forgiveness factor was associated with poorer mental health, suggesting forgiveness is associated with better mental health within the context of this personality-coping factor. Significant positive relationships were found between the extraversion-coping-forgiveness factor and two measures of positive mental health outcomes (positive affect and life satisfaction) suggesting forgiveness is associated with some aspects of mental health within the context of this personality-coping factor. The present findings suggest that forgiveness, or failure to forgive, can be conceptualised within an adaptational-continuum model of personality.     

Putting inference to the best explanation in its place

This paper discusses the nature and the status of inference to the best explanation (IBE). We (1) outline the foundational role given IBE by its defenders and the arguments of critics who deny it any place at all; (2) argue that, on the two main conceptions of explanation, IBE cannot be a foundational inference rule; (3) sketch an account of IBE that makes it contextual and dependent on substantive empirical assumptions, much as simplicity seems to be; (4) show how that account avoids the critics' complaints and leaves IBE an important role; and (5) sketch how our account can clarify debates over IBE in arguments for scientific realism.The general line of argumentation developed in this paper owes much to the most recent work of Elliot Sober on simplicity and confirmation; we want to acknowledge that dependence directly. Since writing this paper, we have also come across Yemima Ben-Menahem: 1990, The Inference to the Best Explanation,Erkenntnis 33, 319–44, whose general approach parallels our own. Helpful comments were made on earlier drafts by George Graham, Romane Clark, Yemima Ben-Menahem, and an anonymous referee.     

Adjustment and family functioning of grandmothers rearing their grandchildren

The adjustment and family functioning of grandmothers who were rearing one or more of their grandchildren were examined in two studies. One study used the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Family Assessment Device. There were no differences between guardian and non-guardian grandmothers on the seven FAD scales, but guardians were higher on the DAS Dyadic Cohesion and lower on Dyadic Consensus. The second study used a 4-hour individual, structured interview to identify personal adjustment difficulties and coping strategies resulting from having to rear a grandchild. Results indicate that guardian grandparent families frequently may provide therapeutic challenges and that they have the potential to provide unique insights into transgenerational family processes.Study one is based on the first author's master's thesis submitted to the Graduate School of Texas Woman's University in December, 1986. The second study was supported by a grant to the second author from the Office of Research and Grants, Texas Woman's University. The authors express their gratitude to Dr. Jack Sibley for coining the terms puervinism and puervitic.     

Apparent misalignment of oblique coplanar bars in depth

Following preliminary observations of apparent misalignment of coplanar surfaces in a three-dimensional (3-D) form of the Poggendorff Figure viewed in depth, the effect was investigated in five experiments and compared with the 2-D Poggendorff effect in the same object in a sixth. The effect in depth occurred with the complete object when it was viewed binocularly but did not do so with the oblique bars alone or when the object was viewed monocularly. The effect did not vary with oblique-parallel angles of 30°, 45°, and 60° and was absent when the angle was 90°. It varied as a function of the distance between the parallels, but was unaffected by a regular pattern on the oblique bars. A smaller 2-D Poggendorff effect occurred when the upper edges of the object were viewed from above. Although the depth effect was robust, its variance was high compared with that of the 2-D effect, indicating that acuity for misalignments of oblique elements in depth is poor. An explanation of apparent misalignment of oblique elements in 2-D and 3-D space in terms of a perceptual compromise between alignment in an oblique axis and separation relative to the axes of the parallels is proposed.     

The relation between visual imagery mediators and recall

Three hypotheses are discussed as explanations for the result that pairs of concrete nouns are more easily remembered than are pairs of abstract nouns: the imagery hypothesis, the familiarity hypothesis, and the concreteness hypothesis. Two experiments are reported in which the degree of visual imagery associated with the components of paired associate items was not indicative of the degree of visual imagery experienced during their learning or with the accuracy with which they were recalled. It was found that pairs of related abstract nouns were rated higher in imagery and familiarity than were pairs of unrelated concrete nouns, but recall of the higher imagery pairs was poorer. The concreteness hypothesis is discussed as the best explanation for the results. The concreteness hypothesis proposes that people learn to associate the labels of concrete objects by using their real-world knowledge of the potential relations between categories of objects. Dual coding theory and schema theory are also discussed as explanations for mediation learning, and the issue of visual imagery as an epiphenomenon is addressed.     

Teaching the Prophetic Marriage Metaphor Texts

This article considers those passages in the prophetic writings of the Hebrew Bible that present the relationship between God and the people by means of a metaphor of a man and his promiscuous female partner. It reflects upon how these texts may fruitfully be taught in a seminary or college introductory Bible course, arguing that they should be included in the curriculum and not ignored. Practical recommendations of methods for presenting such biblical passages in the classroom are suggested.     

THE EFFECTS OF RESPONSE EFFICIENCY ON FUNCTIONALLY EQUIVALENT COMPETING BEHAVIORS

Three experiments addressed the role of response efficiency in the application of functional equivalence training. Functional equivalence training includes conducting a functional assessment of the problem behavior. Variables that predict and maintain the problem behavior are defined, and socially appropriate, functionally equivalent skills are identified and taught. The logic is that if the learner has a socially appropriate way to achieve the same function, he or she will be less likely to use problem behaviors. This study examined the role of response efficiency in functional equivalence training. Response efficiency was examined in terms of three variables: (a) physical effort, (b) schedule of reinforcement, and (c) the time delay between presentation of the discriminative stimulus and reinforcer delivery. Each of the three experiments involved a person who performed a set of problem behaviors and a functional assessment of the problem behaviors. A socially appropriate alternative response was taught, but this new response was less efficient than the problem behavior on one of the efficiency variables (effort, schedule, delay in time). The new behaviors did not compete successfully with the problem behaviors until a new, more efficient, alternative behavior was taught. These results are discussed in terms of our understanding of response covariation and the need in applied contexts to include response efficiency in any functional analysis assessment.     

The Poggendorff illusion: Apparent misalignment which is not attributable to apparent orientation of the transversals

Subjects while looking down were required to adjust a horizontal field of parallel lines (Experiment I) or a single line (Experiment II) to the apparent sagittal direction with and without a superimposed rectangle in the centre of a circular field. The rectangle was tilted at 20, 30 or 40° to the parallels and at 20° to the line. For the 20° condition the parallel lines were apparently oriented at about half a degree compared with the field without a rectangle but in the direction opposite to that necessary to account for the Poggendorff misalignment effect. For the 30 and 40° conditions the lines did not change in apparent orientation. The orientation of the single line did not change. Almost all subjects readily reported an apparent misalignment between the collinear parallels and line separated by the oblique rectangle. It is concluded that the Poggendorff misalignment illusion occurs without apparent regression of the lines to right angles with the figure.     

Constancy and illusion of apparent direction of rotary motion in depth: Tests of a theory

An explanation of apparent direction of rotary motion in depth derived from a general theory of perceptual constancy and illusion is proposed with experimental data in its support. Apparent direction of movement is conceived of as exhibiting-perceptual constancy or illusion as a function of apparent direction of orientation m depth for plane objects and apparent relative depth for three-dimensional objects. Apparent reversals of movement direction represent either regular fluctuations between constancy and illusion of direction as a function of valid and invalid stimuli for orientation, or irregular and random fluctuations in their absence. In three preliminary experiments, the apparent movement direction of plane ellipses was investigated as a function of surface pattern information for orientation, and in Experiment I apparent reversals during 20-revolution trials were studied. In Experiment II, apparent movement direction of 3D elliptical V shapes as a function of surface pattern information for relative depth was investigated. In addition to supporting the explanation proposed, the data offer a resolution of a conflict between different theories of apparent reversal of motion in depth.     

SUPREME COURT DECIDES HIRING AND PLACEMENT PROCEDURES MUST BE VALID

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Griggs v. Duke Power Company (1971) will have important effects on industrial personnel practices that in time will be felt in government, schools, colleges, and other institutions and eventually will touch almost all Americans. In its decision the court admitted that tests are useful but stipulated that they must be valid or job related. The decision will do much to make qualification the all important factor in hiring and selection, and will tend to make race, religion, nationality, and sex irrelevant factors.