Unprovoked aggression: effects of psychopathic traits and sadism

Psychopathic individuals engage in the most violent and cold-blooded acts of aggression. In the laboratory, psychopathy traits have been linked to the commission of unprovoked aggression. The purpose of this study was to assess affective motives that may underlie the relationship between psychopathy and unprovoked aggression. One hundred thirty-seven men viewed a series of photographs depicting violent imagery, completed a lexical decision task designed to assess state affect, and competed in a laboratory-based aggression paradigm. Results indicated that participants who responded faster to happiness words after viewing violent imagery (i.e., sadistic) were significantly more likely to engage in unprovoked aggression. Additionally, Factor 1 psychopathy (emotional detachment) predicted increased probability of unprovoked aggression; however, this relationship was not mediated by sadism. Rather, Factor 1 and sadism each independently predicted unprovoked aggression. The implications of the present data suggest that the type of violence evinced may inform the risk for perpetration of future acts. That is, the individual who demonstrates unprovoked violence may be more likely to employ aggressive tactics across situational contexts than the individual who demonstrates only impulsive acts of hostile/reactive aggression.     

The Ebbs and Flows: Stresses of Sandwich Generation Caregivers

The term sandwich generation describes individuals who are caught between the competing demands of caring for at least one dependent child and one or more aging parents. Of the approximate 8.1 million caregivers in Canada, 28 % were considered “sandwiched”. Similar trends were found in the United States, with 15 % of middle-aged adults being sandwiched financially. Currently, little is known about the unique experiences of those providing care at both ends of the generational ladder. The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to explore the lived experiences of two married sandwich generation caregivers through the use of a case study. A married male and female who were caring for two dependent children and three aging parents each completed two one-on-one interviews with the researcher. The aging parents had varying ailments and needs, and thus the level of care required for each senior fluctuated. Several salient themes emerged from the data, but the following will be the focus of this paper: (1) Ebbs and Flows and (2) Stresses of Being Sandwiched. Notably, the participants’ discussed how their lived experience differed depending on their current situation, as was also evident when the two interviews were compared. During difficult times, the participants’ faced a number of challenges which will be discussed within the paper. As such, future research being conducted with this population should be conducted at multiple time points in order to fully capture the dynamic lived experiences of sandwich generation caregivers.     

Gender differences in salivary alpha-amylase and attentional bias towards negative facial expressions following acute stress induction

This study investigated gender differences in two key processes involved in anxiety, arousal and attentional bias towards threat. Arousal was assessed using salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), a biomarker of noradrenergic arousal and attention bias using a dot-probe task. Twenty-nine women and 27 men completed the dot-probe task and provided saliva samples before and after a stress induction [cold pressor stress (CPS) test]. Women displayed a significant increase in arousal (sAA) following the stressor compared to men, who displayed a significant reduction in arousal. Reaction time data revealed a significant avoidance of threat in women at baseline, but a significant change to an attention bias towards threat following the stressor. Men did not significantly respond to the stressor in terms of attentional bias. These findings suggest that women are more reactive to a stressor than men, and display an initial avoidance response to threat, but an attentional bias towards threat following stress.     

Those speedos become them: the role of self-objectification in gay and heterosexual men's body image

Objectification Theory proposes that membership in sexually objectifying Western societies gradually socializes women to adopt an observer's perspective on their physical self. This leads to negative consequences, including body shame and restricted eating behavior. The authors extend this framework to investigate a subgroup of men, namely gay men, who also exist in a subculture that emphasizes and values physical appearance. Study 1 investigated trait differences in self-objectification and body image among gay and heterosexual men. Analyses indicated that gay men scored higher on self-objectification, body shame, body dissatisfaction, and drive for thinness. In Study 2, the authors experimentally manipulated state self-objectification and found that for gay men, increasing state self-objectification resulted in greater body shame and dissatisfaction and more restrained eating. Together, these results offer strong support to Objectification Theory as a useful framework from within which to view the experience of gay men.     

Promoting Recovery Identities Among Mothers with Histories of Addiction: Strategies of Family Engagement

Changes in identity are critical to managing transitions to recovery from substance and alcohol addictions. Identity change is particularly important for mothers, whose recovery processes are often in the context of critical but complex family relationships and societal expectations. But research and practice often underestimate the relational dimensions that promote or inhibit changes in one's identity during recovery. Here we analyze data from a study that involved interviews with 30 formerly incarcerated women participating in a community-based substance use treatment program in the Midwest. Drawing from Constructivist Grounded Theory Methods, our analysis identified three factors shaping levels of engagement with family members: (1) the relational consequences of a shared past; (2) ascribing permanence to the old identity of “addict” versus the ability to see women's capacity to change; and (3) the current provision of caregiving support to participants’ children. Our analysis supports and extends existing research by highlighting how family can both promote and inhibit a recovery identity process. We discuss potential implications for theorizing “recovery” and “identity” as relational and identify key elements to support practices more attuned to the hidden complexity of family support.     

Assessing “Clutter” and Related Constructs with a Non-White,Urban Sample

How does the clutter in people’s lives affect their sense of home and well-being? Why do some people (specifically non-white individuals) have too much clutter, and too many possessions, and is clutter related to procrastination? We examined the relation of clutter to psychological sense of home, subjective well-being, procrastination (both decisional and routine), and the need for cognition. Our participants (n = 192) were predominantly non-White, urban college students. Results confirmed prior research indicting negative relations between clutter and both the psychological sense of home and subjective well-being, plus a negative relation between clutter and need for cognition. Clutter was positively related to both forms of procrastination examined. The two forms of procrastination differed in their relation to need for cognition, supporting the view of decisional and routine procrastination as two distinct sub-types of procrastination.     

Relationship Characteristics Associated with Teen Dating Violence Perpetration

Teen dating violence (TDV) is unstable across dating relationships, suggesting that characteristics of the relationship could be related to TDV. Few empirical studies have examined these links. This study examined associations between relationship characteristics and TDV perpetration among teens and sex differences in those associations. Relationship characteristics examined include tactics used to manipulate partners, ways of responding to relationship problems, relationship duration, exclusivity of the relationship, age difference between partners, and history of sexual intercourse with partner. Data were drawn from 667 teens in a current relationship (62.5% female and 81.4% White) enrolled in the 11th or 12th grade in 14 public schools in a rural U.S. state. Bivariate and multivariable regression analyses examined proposed associations. A total of 30.1% and 8.2% of teens reported controlling and physical TDV perpetration, respectively. In multivariable models, frequent use of manipulation tactics increased risk for controlling or physical TDV perpetration. Teens dating a partner 2 or more years younger were at significantly increased risk for both controlling and physical perpetration. A significant interaction emerged between sex and exit or neglect accommodation for physical TDV. Characteristics of a current dating relationship play an important role in determining risk for controlling and physical TDV perpetration.     

Executive functions and extraversion

Executive functions and extraversion have been linked to similar neurological substrates. Participants were tested on a variety of tasks that assessed performance on three components of executive functioning (i.e., shifting, updating, and inhibition) and two measures of extraversion (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised and Carver and White’s BIS/BAS scales). More extraverted participants showed different patterns of executive function performance than the more introverted participants. Extraverts performed best on more difficult tasks and on updating tasks. Conversely, introverts performed best on set shifting tasks. These results suggest that executive functioning strengths differ based on degree of extraversion.     

Teaching Ethics to Engineers: Ethical Decision Making Parallels the Engineering Design Process

In order to fulfill ABET requirements, Northern Arizona University’s Civil and Environmental engineering programs incorporate professional ethics in several of its engineering courses. This paper discusses an ethics module in a 3rd year engineering design course that focuses on the design process and technical writing. Engineering students early in their student careers generally possess good black/white critical thinking skills on technical issues. Engineering design is the first time students are exposed to “grey” or multiple possible solution technical problems. To identify and solve these problems, the engineering design process is used. Ethical problems are also “grey” problems and present similar challenges to students. Students need a practical tool for solving these ethical problems. The step-wise engineering design process was used as a model to demonstrate a similar process for ethical situations. The ethical decision making process of Martin and Schinzinger was adapted for parallelism to the design process and presented to students as a step-wise technique for identification of the pertinent ethical issues, relevant moral theories, possible outcomes and a final decision. Students had greatest difficulty identifying the broader, global issues presented in an ethical situation, but by the end of the module, were better able to not only identify the broader issues, but also to more comprehensively assess specific issues, generate solutions and a desired response to the issue.