Commentary on “Life as a Pregnant Genetic Counselor”

The genetic counseling role is complex. There are frequently challenges raised for the genetic counselor both personally with the client and through factors external to the genetic counselor such as the clinical setting. The pregnant genetic counselor working in a prenantal diagnosis center may be confronted by her own countertransference towards the client or by the client’s tranference. The processes of transference and countrtransference need to be clearly understood, identified and dealt with in a sensitive self aware manner to facilitate the role of communicating empathically and giving genetic information to facilitate informed client decision making. Regular professional supervision and debriefing for the genetic counselor are essential to develop professional boundaries and to develop self awareness.     

A Comparison of Sexual Aggression Risk Factors Between the United States and the Philippines

Sexual violence against women is a global problem, prompting the need to investigate the risk factors among males in non-Western, non-industrialized countries. Using the expanded Confluence Model, this study examined and compared risk factors of sexual aggression between male college students in the Philippines and the United States. Using path analysis and multiple group analysis, results indicated that the expanded Confluence Model was generally invariant between countries. Direct paths from hostile attitudes toward women and impersonal sex to sexual aggression were non-significant, but indirect effects from hostile attitudes toward women, alcohol consumption, and impersonal sex to sexual aggression via the frequency of misperceiving a woman’s sexual intent were observed. Additional risk analysis indicated that the number of elevated risk factors were associated with higher self-reports of sexual aggression.     

Being distinctive versus being conspicuous: The effects of numeric status and sex-stereotyped tasks on individual performance in groups

Being in the numeric minority (e.g., being a solo woman in a group of men) influences how well a person performs within a work group. But being the solo member is only one way in which people can be atypical in a group; a person can also represent a social or demographic category that has not typically been associated with the task that the group is working on. Using a design with four categories of group composition (minority, balanced, majority, homogeneous) and two categories of tasks (sex-typical, sex-atypical) we found that the sex composition of the group interacted with the sex typicality of the task to influence both positive deferrals by group members and individual performance in groups. But, rather than consistently reducing performance as prior research has suggested, being numerically atypical enhanced individual performance when the task was typical for that person’s sex. Further, positive deferrals mediated between the interaction of numeric composition and task typicality in influencing individual performance suggesting that both majority group members and the solo member affect one another’s performance in groups. We conclude by discussing why understanding the interplay between these two sources of stereotyping, numeric composition and task typicality, is important for understanding the social nature of individual performance in groups.     

Implications of MDMA use for prospective memory function and substance use patterns in an Australian sample: A web‐based pilot study

The use of amphetamine type stimulants, particularly MDMA, is a global concern. Little research has been conducted on the association between MDMA use and everyday memory function—prospective memory. Twenty‐five MDMA users, 37 cannabis users, and 43 illicit substance‐naïve controls were assessed on their substance use history and reported prospective memory performance as measured by the Prospective Memory Questionnaire (PMQ) using a web‐based survey. There were significant differences between MDMA users and controls and cannabis users and controls on long‐term episodic subscale of the PMQ. However, given the high prevalence of cannabis co‐use by MDMA users, it was not possible to determine if MDMA use alone is associated with prospective memory performance. The substance use patterns of the sample were evaluated. Alcohol was the most used substance followed by tobacco, cannabis, and MDMA. The incidence of polydrug use was high, with all illicit substance use reporting having used at least two substances in their lifetime. The present study supports previous research into prospective memory deficits associated with substance use, and provides a basis for future research, particularly for elucidation of prospective memory deficits specific to MDMA use and further evaluation of substance use patterns.     

Locus-of-Hope and Help-Seeking Intentions of Filipino Women Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

Correlates of help-seeking intentions of a sample of Filipino women victims of intimate partner violence were explored in this study, with a focus on the influence of locus-of-hope dimensions. Results indicated that self-esteem, most demographic and relationship factors were not systematically related to help-seeking intentions, but more educated battered women were less likely to seek help. As regards locus-of-hope dimensions, external-peer locus-of-hope positively predicted help-seeking intentions, whereas external-spiritual locus-of-hope negatively predicted help-seeking intentions. Results are discussed in terms of the psychological processes that guide decisions to seek help among battered women in the Philippines.     

Family Impact and Parenting Styles in Families of Children with ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) begins in childhood and is characterized by attention deficits, hyperactivity, or impulsiveness that is inconsistent with a child’s developmental level. The effects of ADHD are not limited to the child alone but can affect their familial context, particularly parenting styles. Using data from 68 parents of 6–11-year-old ADHD-diagnosed children, we attempted to identify the predictive variables of two parenting styles: criticism-rejection and permissiveness-indulgence. We analyzed two complex predictive models using structural equation modeling. We hypothesized that family impact variables would mediate the relation between the child’s behavior and parenting. The data showed that the child’s ADHD was only indirectly related to parenting styles, whereas child’s behavior problems had a direct relationship. The results stressed the central role of the child’s behavior on family social life, parents’ marital relationship, and parents’ feelings about their children. These variables mediated the relationship between the children’s disorders and parenting styles. On the other hand, perceived social support had an inverse relationship with this negative family impact, and it even had relevant indirect effects on criticism and permissiveness.     

A pilot study examining the effects of priming headache illness schema on attentional engagement towards pain relief medication,in those with high and low medication treatment beliefs

Few studies have assessed the underlying theoretical components of the Common Sense Model. Past studies have found, through implicit priming, that coping strategies are embedded within illness schema. Our aim was to evaluate the effect priming ‘headache’ illness schema upon attentional engagement to pain relief medication and to examine the interaction with illness treatment beliefs. Attentional engagement to the pain relief medication (‘Paracetamol’) was assessed using a 2 (primed vs. control) × 2 (strong belief in medication efficacy vs. weak belief in medication efficacy) design. During a grammatical decision task (identifying verbs/non-verbs), participants were randomised to receive a headache prime or a control. Response latency to the target word, ‘Paracetamol’ was the dependent variable. ‘Paracetamol’ treatment beliefs were determined using the brief illness perception questionnaire. Sixty-three participants completed the experiment. There was a significant interaction between illness-primed vs. control and high vs. low treatment efficacy of Paracetamol (p < .001), suggesting an attentional disengagement effect to the coping strategy in illness-primed participants whom held stronger treatment beliefs regarding the efficacy of Paracetamol. In summary, implicit illness schema activation may simultaneously activate embedded coping strategies, which appears to be moderated by specific illness beliefs.