Female perversion: scenes and strategies in analysis and culture

The author presents some ideas derived from observation in analysis about differing positions of Freud and Jung on perversion and about probable differences in perverse structural elements of women in contrast to men. In general perversion is understood as a defence of the self; in particular with women it is seen as a defensive way of achieving a false wholeness, a pseudo-androgyny. A case study describes the unfolding of a perverted transference. The importance of reaching the analyst and being understood by the analyst through projective identification is stressed. Quite often a sexually abusing mother seems to play an important role in generating female perversion; the implications in analysis are discussed as well as some ideas about culture and gender.     

Video games as research tools: The Space Fortress game

From 1983 through 1986, several laboratories investigated the role of practice in skill acquisition in a joint project called theLearning Strategies Program. The principal research tool for this project was a video game calledSpace Fortress. The present article summarizes the major findings obtained with Space Fortress, and examines several problems that arise in choosing a video game for use as a research tool.     

Structural couplings between individual development and the epigenesis of family relations in schizophrenia: An eight-year follow-up

The aim of this research was to study individual development along with the epigenesis of family relations in an eight-year follow-up of schizophrenia. The five epigenetic phases described by Wynne are attachment/caregiving, communicating, joint problemsolving, mutuality, and intimacy. Results showed that the critical level of epigenesis was the communicating level; its resolution was statistically significantly connected to good prognosis concerning individual parameters. The mother-child dyad was usually epigenetically the most developed dyad in the family. We think this study gives a new paradigm for understanding connecting interconnections between individual and family dynamics in schizophrenia and valuable information for planning the integrated and need-specific treatment of schizophrenia and evaluating the course and prognosis of schizophrenia.This study was carried out at the Clinic of Psychiatry of the University of Turku, Finland, and financially supported by the Academy of Finland. The head of the project was Professor Yrjö O. Alanen. We have also been in cooperation with and received valuable constructive criticism from Professor Lyman C. Wynne, whose theoretical model we applied in this study. Ms. Birgitta Nolvi's secretarial work was greatly appreciated.     

Behavioral skills workshop for staff and supervisor in a community residence for developmentally handicapped adults

A behavioral skills workshop for counselors and a supervisor in a community group home was developed and evaluated. The workshop included group skills training, individual supervised in vivo practice, and supervisor training. Supervisor training taught behavioral staff management skills that were delivered in a multiple baseline design across subjects. Positive changes in staff behavior occurred for each group only after supervisor intervention. Significant positive changes occurred by the end of the workshop and were maintained at follow-up for staff self-evaluations of expertise and confidence to resolve problems, severity of client problems, and behavioral observations of positive client behaviors.     

Rousseau's Political Defense of the Sex-roled Family

We argue that Rousseau's defense of the sex-roled family is not based on biological determinism or simple misogyny. Rather, his advocacy of sexual differentiation is based on his understanding of its ability to bring individuals outside of themselves into interdependent communities, and thus to counter natural independence, self'absorption and asociality, as well as social competitiveness and egoism. This political defense of the sex-roled family needs more critique by feminists.     

The effects of majority size on minority influence

Two experiments investigated the role of majority size (social pressure) in minority influence. Opposite predictions were derived from an attributional account and two social impact models. In Experiment 1 there was a tendency for minority influence to decrease with increasing majority size when the minority argued against gay rights. The results were stronger and clearer in Experiment 2. For pro-abortion minorities, the minority's impact clearly declined as the size of the opposing majority increased. As predicted by the social impact models, this decline occurred during the initial increase of the majority size. The limitations of the mathematical models are discussed.     

Men's and women's self-confidence in persuasive,comforting, and justificatory communicative tasks

The self-confidence of men and women was assessed in three types of interpersonal communicative situations. Participants indicated anticipated level of success, evaluated their performance, and assessed the extent to which the outcome was due to ability and to effort. The most striking finding was higher self-confidence in women than in men in comforting tasks. No difference emerged in level of self-confidence between men and women in persuasive tasks. Men tended to anticipate more success in justifying decisions, but following their performance, did not rate either the quality of the performance or their ability higher than did women.     

Phonological cues to open- and closed-class words in the processing of spoken sentences

Evidence is presented that (a) the open and the closed word classes in English have different phonological characteristics, (b) the phonological dimension on which they differ is one to which listeners are highly sensitive, and (c) spoken open- and closed-class words produce different patterns of results in some auditory recognition tasks. What implications might link these findings? Two recent lines of evidence from disparate paradigms—the learning of an artificial language, and natural and experimentally induced misperception of juncture—are summarized, both of which suggest that listeners are sensitive to the phonological reflections of open- vs. closed-class word status. Although these correlates cannot be strictly necessary for efficient processing, if they are present listeners exploit them in making word class assignments. That such a use of phonological information is of value to listeners could be indirect evidence that open- vs. closed-class words undergo different processing operations.     

Understanding the Relationships Among Attitudes, Group Norms, and Behavior Using Behavioral Commitment: A Structural Equation Analysis of Marijuana Use

This research examines the relative importance of attitudes and group norms in determining frequency of marijuana use. In this examination, we employ a neglected concept in attitude/behavior research—behavioral commitment. We suggest that the role of attitudes and group norms will vary, in part, depending upon one's level of commitment to the behavior. Specifically, we assert that norms will increase in importance over attitudes as behavioral commitment increases. To test this hypothesis, we utilize covariance structure analysis with a nationally representative sample of high school seniors defined in terms of their commitment to marijuana use. Multiple group comparisons also are performed to assess the comparability of measurement properties and structural estimates. Results are supportive of the hypothesis. The findings are discussed in terms of previous attitude/behavior research and drug abuse prevention programs.