Frequently cited journals in forensic psychology

Works cited in six forensic psychology journals published 2008-2010 were counted to identify the most frequently cited journals. The sample of works cited (N = 21,776) was not a definitive ranked list of important journals in forensic psychology, but was large enough to indicate high-impact journals. The list of frequently cited publications included more general psychiatry and psychology journals than titles specific to forensic psychology. The implications of the proportion of general versus specific titles for collections supporting research in forensic psychology were discussed.     

Mother-infant interaction: effects of a home intervention and ongoing maternal drug use

Examined the effects of a home-based intervention on mother-infant interaction among drug-using women and their infants. At 2 weeks postpartum, mothers and infants were randomly assigned to either an intervention (n = 84) or a control (n = 87) group. Control families received brief monthly tracking visits, and intervention families received weekly visits by trained lay visitors. Mother-infant interaction was evaluated at 6 months through observation of feeding. Although there were no direct effects of the intervention, in the control group, mothers who continued to use drugs were less responsive to their babies than mothers who were drug free. In the intervention group, drug use was not associated with maternal responsiveness. Weekly home-based intervention may be a protective strategy for children of drug-using women because it disrupts the relation between ongoing maternal drug use and low maternal responsiveness.     

Does Rumination Mediate the Association of Private Prayer,Stress, and Their Interaction with Depression among Christians? A Cross-Sectional Study

Mechanisms underlying significant associations between different types of prayer and depression are unknown. Based on the conceptualization of prayer as stress buffering coping style and the Response Style Theory, we proposed that rumination mediates the association of prayer types and stress with depression. This cross-sectional study (N?=?227 Christians, M_age 41.74, SD 14.82, age range 18–82 years, 76% female) used path modeling to test whether rumination mediated the associations between prayer types and prayer types by stress interactions with depression. Rumination fully mediated the associations of the colloquial and ritual prayer by stress interactions with depressive symptoms, while meditative and petitionary prayer was directly associated with depressive symptoms. Further, petitionary prayer and the ritual prayer by stress interaction were associated with more and not with less rumination and depressive symptoms, respectively. Summarized, first empirical evidence supports an integration of prayer, stress, and rumination into one model of depression. However, the exact nature of their interplay depends on the prayer type. If replicated, our findings allow the integration of prayer into cognitive-behavioral treatment of depression in religious and spiritual clients.     

Treating Insecure Attachment in Group Therapy: Attachment Theory Meets Modern Psychoanalytic Technique

Attachment theory is a comprehensive, empirically supported theory of emotional, relational, and neurophysiological development. Modern psychoanalysis is a theory of technique that addresses early psychological deficits and conflicts considered beyond the reach of traditional psychoanalysis. Both orientations have influenced the theory and practice of group psychotherapy and emphasize personality maturation as a treatment goal. This paper explores their potential synergies when treating preoedipal, insecurely attached emotional states, disrupted emotional self-regulation, and impaired mentalization. Theoretical and technical applications are suggested that may enhance the treatment of disordered attachment in group psychotherapy. By addressing insecure attachment as resistance, modern psychoanalytic techniques may engage the emotional substrates of the attachment process to facilitate the expansion of relational capacities, mentalization, self-regulation, the differentiation of self/other representations, and epistemic trust.     

The morality of creating and eliminating duties

Philosophical Studies - We often act in ways that create duties for ourselves: we adopt a child and become obligated to raise and educate her. We also sometimes act in ways that eliminate duties:...     

Family processes in the midst of urban poverty: What does the trauma literature tell us?

Consistent with a family systems framework, this paper examines the clinical and research literatures to clarify the connection between chronic trauma exposure and family processes with a focus on the social ecology of low-income, urban neighborhoods. Strong empirical evidence demonstrates the impact of chronic trauma on individual family members and, in turn, on multiple family subsystems. Additionally, there is evidence that living under chronically harsh, traumatic circumstances slowly erodes family processes, specifically structure, relations, and coping. However, existing research reflects the problems inherent in sorting out relationships among multiple, often interrelated factors. Future research requires comprehensive theoretical models, such as systemic, transactional, or ecodevelopmental, along with sophisticated research designs, prospective, longitudinal or intervention, and multilevel analytic methods.     

Nonclinical use of online social networking sites: new and old challenges to medical professionalism

The AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) has written a position paper on how social medical use challenges medical professionalism. The report offers persuasive ethical and practical guidelines for nonclinical internet use, specifically for social networking. This commentary provides a framework from which to apply these guidelines, but adds that there may be important situations in which physicians are not able to act in accordance. The guidelines call for professional reporting of questionable online portrayals or behaviors, but this commentary argues that this may be not only cumbersome to implement, but may violate aspects of constitutional rights. While online social networking may in many ways be a new application of old challenges, there may be other aspects that require novel approaches to medical professionalism.     

Sorry not today: Self and temporary consumption denial

This research investigates the temporary involuntary loss of symbolically important, meaningful possessions and how consumers manage self identity in this situation. The losses explored occurred within the context of air travel and included where people accustomed to flying in business class had to travel in economy and where high status in a frequent flyer program was lost. Three stages of fieldwork were conducted; participant observation involving 50 international and domestic flights covering 110,000 miles, depth interviews and engagement online with a range of frequent flyer discussion communities. The short‐term, concealable nature of the losses allowed consumers to manipulate private and public meaning to avoid, where possible, the consequences of the loss on self identity. This study contributes by showing that both private and public meanings of lost possessions can be used in identity construction and how identity negotiation can be avoided. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.