Communicating with Children about Sexuality: A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Brief Parenting Discussion Group

Journal of Child and Family Studies - This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a brief, group-based parenting intervention for parents of children aged three to 10 years, in improving parental...     

Predictors of Living in Precarious Housing Among Immigrants Accessing Housing Support Services

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that explain immigrant housing vulnerability, thereby contributing to the growth of a more substantial knowledge base on the intersection between immigration, housing and homelessness. Administrative data on housing support service recipients (n?=?4168) in Alberta, Canada, were analysed to determine the varied demographic, socio-economic and health-related factors that contribute to living in a precarious housing situation (such as homelessness, couch surfing, staying with friends or family etc.). Logistic regression analysis shows that being an immigrant is a protective factor from living in a precarious housing situation. For the immigrant subsample (n?=?525), logistic regression analysis demonstrates that living in a larger city, having a mental illness and being married were protective factors from living in a precarious housing situation. However, having an addiction and being precariously employed (such as only working part-time, having temporary employment or being unemployed) were risk factors for living in a precarious housing situation. Shared and distinctive vulnerabilities among the immigrant subsample and the full study sample are discussed, along with implications for specific policy and programmes that aim to address the housing needs of immigrants.     

Hartmann, health, and homosexuality: some clinical aspects of "Ego Psychology and the Problem of Adaptation"

Hartmann's theories have experienced a remarkable rise and fall in popularity over the past fifty years. In this paper, an effort is made to arrive at a balanced view. The genetic and economic aspects of Hartmann's ego psychology are found to be problematic, but the dynamic aspect led to a sophisticated psychoanalytic concept of health as yet unsurpassed. Hartmann always called for the clinical application of his ideas. In this spirit, a vignette is offered from a clinical area in which questions of "health" and "illness" are particularly vexing at present.     

Think manager—think male,think follower—think female: Gender bias in implicit followership theories

Because of the overlap between the social roles of women and followers, we predicted that people would show a bias, that is, favor female followers over male followers. To support this hypothesis, we conducted two studies: An explicit test of the bias using a scenario design and an implicit association test (IAT)‐based study. Both studies show that the role of an ideal follower is more strongly associated with the female gender role, which seems to be caused partly by a more communal connotation of the follower role. This effect might contribute to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions as they are perceived to be an ideal fit for followership positions; but it may also push men away from being followers and into leadership positions.     

Analyzing the returns of the first transaction satisfaction on intention to purchase and willingness to pay: Evidence for new food products

The present study sheds light on the kind of relationships that link first transaction consumer satisfaction (CS), purchase intention, and willingness to pay for new food products. The article presents a comparative evaluation of linear and nonlinear quadratic and cubic specifications used to assess the relationships involved. The study uses empirical evidence from three product‐testing field experiments with consumers in different natural settings such as at‐home and out‐of‐home. Statistical tests with structural equation modeling reveal that, for new food products, the CS–purchase intention relationship is characterized by a nonlinear functional form with increasing marginal returns, while the CS–willingness to pay relationship is defined by a linear functional form with constant marginal returns. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge that so far has mainly described the relationship between cumulative CS and profit chain outcomes in the context of established products (brands). We discuss the implications for managers responsible for launching new food products and give hints on allocating resources to the most probable customers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of Spina Bifida on Parental Caregivers: Findings from a Survey of Arkansas Families

The well-being of caregivers of children with spina bifida and other conditions is an important topic. We interviewed the primary caregivers of 98 children aged 0–17 years with spina bifida sampled from a population-based birth defects registry in Arkansas and the caregivers of 49 unaffected children. Measures of caregiver well-being were compared between the groups and by level of lesion (sacral, lower lumbar, and upper lumbar/thoracic). We performed linear and logistic regression analysis to test the associations controlling for other characteristics. Among caregivers of children with spina bifida, the average number of hours of sleep was significantly less than reported by other caregivers and was associated with lesion level among children less than 7 years of age. Significant associations, often varying by child age, were also found for the caregiver’s reports of lower Quality of Well-Being (QWB) score, often feeling blue, rarely feeling happy, fair or poor health, lack of leisure days, and not hosting friends, but no significant association was found with not visiting friends. The intensive long-term care required by children with spina bifida, particularly by those with higher lesions, can negatively impact caregiver health and well-being. Support for these caregivers is needed.     

An evaluation of a behavioural parenting intervention for parents of gifted children

Parents of gifted children identify a need for tailored parenting support, and gifted children have unique requirements and vulnerabilities. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a tailored behavioural parenting intervention, for enhancing the parenting skills of parents of gifted children and to assess the effect of these changes on the behavioural and emotional adjustment of their gifted child. A randomised controlled trial of tailored Group Triple P – Positive Parenting Program was conducted with 75 parents of children identified as gifted. Results indicated significant intervention effects for the number and frequency of parent reported child behaviour problems, as well as hyperactivity in the intervention group, relative to a waitlist control. Parents also reported significant improvements in their own parenting style, including less permissiveness, harshness, and verbosity when disciplining their child. No intervention effects were evident for teacher reports, except for a trend in relation to hyperactivity. This study demonstrated that a tailored behavioural parenting intervention is effective and acceptable for parents of gifted children, and thus has clinical implications for the delivery of parenting interventions for this population.     

The development of children's preferences for equality and equity across 13 individualistic and collectivist cultures

A concern for fairness is a fundamental and universal element of morality. To examine the extent to which cultural norms are integrated into fairness cognitions and influence social preferences regarding equality and equity, a large sample of children (N 2,163) aged 4–11 were tested in 13 diverse countries. Children participated in three versions of a third‐party, contextualized distributive justice game between two hypothetical recipients differing in terms of wealth, merit, and empathy. Social decision‐making in these games revealed universal age‐related shifts from equality‐based to equity‐based distribution motivations across cultures. However, differences in levels of individualism and collectivism between the 13 countries predicted the age and extent to which children favor equity in each condition. Children from the most individualistic cultures endorsed equitable distributions to a greater degree than children from more collectivist cultures when recipients differed in regards to wealth and merit. However, in an empathy context where recipients differed in injury, children from the most collectivist cultures exhibited greater preferences to distribute resource equitably compared to children from more individualistic cultures. Children from the more individualistic cultures also favored equitable distributions at an earlier age than children from more collectivist cultures overall. These results demonstrate aspects of both cross‐cultural similarity and divergence in the development of fairness preferences.     

The specter of freedom: ressentiment and Dostoevskij’s notes from underground

The essay examines the Underground Man’s ambivalent position in Dostoevskij’s hierarchy of values in light of the Nietzschean concept of ressentiment. To elucidate the problem of free will in Notes from Underground, I propose to supplement Nietzsche’s theory with the concept of ressentiment as developed by Max Scheler, whose endorsement of Christian love as a means of overcoming ressentiment suggests an affinity with Dostoevskij’s own deeply religious worldview. With the help of Schelerian phenomenology, I read the novel as an early statement of the problem of Christian freedom in Dostoevskij’s oeuvre. Like the “Pro and Contra” section of The Brothers Karamazov, Notes from Underground turns our attention to the “costs” of the Christian ideal: in a world exposed to the ultimate horizon of desire through Christ, those lacking the serenity of faith may be doomed to the merciless torment of ressentiment.     

Intimate Partner Violence Assessment in an Historical Context: Divergent Approaches and Opportunities for Progress

This paper provides a brief history of the assessment of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the United States. We examine strengths and weaknesses of the original IPV assessment approaches and describe the modifications and extensions that have been employed to improve our understanding of the multifaceted nature of IPV. We next discuss more recent movements in IPV assessment, including the assessment of non-heterosexual relationships, the examination of various (and often intersecting) forms of IPV, and the identification of qualitatively different types of IPV. We provide an analogy between the assessment of IPV and the assessment of other problems such as depression, and compare the differences between an assessment of symptoms and an assessment of impairment or harm. We conclude by highlighting the need for multi-method assessment approaches that can account for both the frequency and intensity of aggressive acts, as well as the context, motivations, and impacts of such acts, in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of violence in intimate relationships.