Feminism's healing effect

Helen Bequaert Holmes and Laura M. Purdy have done medical ethicists and clinical practitioners an enormous favor by publishing in book form their edited collection of 21 essays, Feminist Perspectives in Medical Ethics. This is an anthology of articles applying feminist methods and theories to problems in medical ethics. It is a fitting initiation for healthcare professionals and theorists who have yet to introduce themselves to the methods, analyses, and diverse contributions of feminism. In one simple volume, readers can sample feminist contributions to medical ethics that otherwise would be scattered in books or journals unavailable in most medical libraries.     

Hierarchical semantic organization in educable mentally retarded children.

Fifty-four educable mentally retarded (EMR) children looked at eight familiar pictures. Subsequently they attempted to recall each picture when given as retrieval cues the corresponding noun and four other words that represented a hierarchical class inclusion system for that particular picture. Five predictions based on a model of semantic distance in the structure were tested. Four of the predictions were significantly confirmed. Thus, EMR children showed evidence of functional use of a hierarchical class inclusion system in memory retrieval. These results are not suggested by most of the relevant literature in mental retardation.     

Perspective taking in referring to objects behind versus in front of an observer: Frames of reference,intraindividual consistency,and response latencies

Speakers of English and German typically adopt the reflection variant of the relative frame of reference (FoR) in order to describe how nonoriented objects that are located in front of them are related to one another. Little is known, however, about how they proceed in dorsal settings, with objects located in their back. In this article, we explore the turn hypothesis, which assumes a (mental) 180° turn of the observer to face the objects, converting the dorsal into a frontal situation, so that the preferred FoR variant for frontal settings can be applied. To elicit spatial references, we used photographs that showed an observer and two objects either in the observer's visual field (frontal condition) or in the observer's back (dorsal condition). The observer was looking either in the same direction as the referencing individual (aligned perspectives) or in the opposite direction (vis-à-vis perspective). Data from two experiments show that while participants do adopt the observer's perspective, their references in dorsal settings are incompatible with the turn hypothesis. Analyses of response latencies indicate additional cognitive costs for establishing a FoR for the very first item in the dorsal condition as compared to the frontal condition, but fast adaption for subsequent items, and high intraindividual consistency in FoR choice in both conditions. Maintaining the assumption that references in dorsal settings should be compatible with the variant of the relative FoR adopted in frontal settings, participants’ references can be explained by assuming a backward projection that gets by without a (mental) turn of the observer.     

The perceived vulnerability to disease scale: Cross-cultural measurement invariance and associations with fear of COVID-19 across 16 countries

Using cross-sectional data from N = 4274 young adults across 16 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, we examined the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) scale and tested the hypothesis that the association between PVD and fear of COVID-19 is stronger under high disease threat [that is, absence of COVID-19 vaccination, living in a country with lower Human Development Index (HDI) or higher COVID-19 mortality]. Results supported a bi-factor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling model where items loaded on a global PVD factor, and on the sub-factors of Perceived Infectability and Germ Aversion. However, cross-national invariance could only be obtained on the configural level with a reduced version of the PVD scale (PVD-r), suggesting that the concept of PVD may vary across nations. Moreover, higher PVD-r was consistently associated with greater fear of COVID-19 across all levels of disease threat, but this association was especially pronounced among individuals with a COVID-19 vaccine, and in contexts where COVID-19 mortality was high. The present research brought clarity into the dimensionality of the PVD measure, discussed its suitability and limitations for cross-cultural research, and highlighted the pandemic-related conditions under which higher PVD is most likely to go along with psychologically maladaptive outcomes, such as fear of COVID-19.     

Outcome Studies in the Treatment of Panic Disorder: A Review

The authors review outcome studies in the treatment of panic disorder without agoraphobia for an adult population. Empirical evidence is presented to support the efficacy of psychopharmacological and cognitive-behavioral interventions. In addition, this article can serve as the basis for the development of emerging standards of cure for the diagnosis and treatment of panic disorder.     

A microcomputer lab for psychology based on a hierarchical learning model

This paper describes a psychology laboratory based on a CORVUS-networked system of Apple IIe microcomputers. It also describes the specific software applications used in each of a range of psychology courses, and the skills developed through each of the specific applications. While no empirical data is yet available to support formal evaluation of this type of instruction, initial student and faculty responses to its implementation have been very favorable. The model described here may be useful to other psychologists who are interested in providing microcomputer experiences for their students.     

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Video Game Violence on Interpersonal Trust

Two studies investigate the psychological processes underlying short- and long-term effects of video game violence on interpersonal trust. Study 1 demonstrates that interacting with physically aggressive virtual agents decreases players' trust in subsequent interactions. This effect was stronger for players who were dispositionally sensitive to victimization. In Study 2, long-term effects of adolescents' frequent exposure to video game violence on interpersonal trust and victim sensitivity were investigated. Cross-lagged path analyses show that the reported frequency of playing violent video games reduced interpersonal trust over a period of 12 months, particularly among victim-sensitive players. These findings are in line with the sensitivity to mean intentions (SeMI) model, and they suggest that interpersonal mistrust is a relevant long-term outcome of frequent exposure to video game violence.     

Development and Validation of a Brief Self-Report Measure of Agitation: The Brief Agitation Measure

Emerging evidence indicates that agitation is an ominous precursor to imminent death by suicide, yet measures of it are few, and to our knowledge, no self-report measure of agitation exists. To fill this gap, we have developed the Brief Agitation Measure (BAM), which is designed as a brief measure to assess agitation. In this article, we provide preliminary evidence from 2 studies examining the reliability and validity of the BAM in an undergraduate sample as well as a clinical sample. We close with a discussion of the limitations of the studies and implications of our findings.