Sex-role similarities between adults and their parents

Sex-role is a product of interpersonal and intrapersonal cognitive functioning. As a result, parents play an important role in the development of their children's sex-role orientation. The aim of this research was to describe the relationship between the sex-role of adults and those of their parents as measured on the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (Bem, 1974). Inventories were completed by 24 men, 41 women, and their parents. Results show the strongest relationship for gender-consonant sex-roles for mother-daughter and father-son dyads. Findings are discussed in terms of sex-role and modeling theories.     

The use of a consultation team to network families with other helping systems

Families, therapists, and other service providers often find themselves uncooperative and at cross purposes when working toward solutions to family problems. Sometimes each professional is involved in one small piece of the problem and may never have encountered other providers and all family members. This paper describes a family-agencies-team consultation model intended to address the above issues. The model uses a consultation team to facilitate better understanding of family needs, helping agency roles, and service provider constraints. The approach has been successful in creating dialogue, generating a wide range of goals, engendering cooperation, empowering families, and affirming agency participation.In addition to the authors, the consultation team included staff members at the Pitt County Mental Health Center working with client families and other agencies in Pitt County, North Carolina.     

Culture and gender in marital therapy with ethiopian immigrants: A conversation in metaphors

Israel is a country which has absorbed more than half of its population during its first 44 years of existence. Recently, the trend has been to move away from the melting-pot ideology and favor the philosophy of unity in diversity. The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on the issue of marital therapy in the context of immigration, family loss, and different cultural traditions in the Ethiopian community living in Israel. A story of marital therapy is recounted in which the continuity and expansion of customs is used. This provided a sense of familiarity in therapy to demonstrate culture and gender-sensitive therapy and illustrate possible guidelines for therapeutic collaboration.I would like to thank Yael Kitov, the therapist, for her wonderful job-Amith Ben-David.     

The degree of similarity of differentiation of self between partners in married and dating couples: Preliminary evidence

Bowen's differentiation of self construct is examined through a test in two studies of the hypothesis that people select partners at similar levels of differentiation of self. One study used a sample of married couples and the other a sample of dating and engaged couples. The studies used different instruments for determining differentiation of self. Three data analysis procedures—correlations, t-tests, and the degree of similarity procedure—provided conflicting evidence for the similarity hypothesis. Results are discussed as they pertain to statistical analysis issues using related individuals and to Bowen family systems theory and the use of this theory in clinical practice.     

Construction et Validation de l'Échelle de Motivation pour les Personnes Âgées (EMPA)

Le but de cet article consiste à présenter les résultats de quatre études ayant pour objectif de construire et valider un nouvel instrument mesurant la motivation des personnes âgées vis-à-vis les activités importantes de leur vie, soit l'échelle de Motivation pour les Personnes Âgées (EMPA). L'EMPA est formée de quatre sous-échelles mesurant la motivation intrinsèque, la motivation extrinsèque autodéterminée, la motivation extrinsèque non-autodéterminée et l'amotivation, et ce dans six domaines de vie jugés importants par les personnes âgées: la santé, la religion, les informations, les loisirs, les relations interpersonnelles et les besoins biologiques. Dans l'ensemble, les résultats révèlent que l'EMPA possède une cohérence interne élevée ainsi qu'une stabilité temporelle satisfaisante. En plus, la validité de l'EMPA a été soutenue par: (1) l'existence d'un pattern de corrélations de type simplex entre les quatre sous-échelles, (2) des corrélations significatives entre les réponses des personnes âgées et l'évaluation des intervieweures quant à la motivation des personnes âgées et enfin (3) par des analyses de tests-t qui révèlent, en accord avec la théorie de Deci et Ryan (1985), que les personnes âgées qui se perçoivent très autodéterminées dans leur centre d'accueil ont des pointages plus élevés sur les sous-échelles de motivation intrinsèque et de motivation extrinsèque autodéterminée, mais des pointages plus faibles sur les sous-échelles de motivation extrinsèque non-autodéterminée et d'amotivation, que celles qui se perçoivent comme étant peu autodéterminées. Les présents résultats démontrent donc, du moins dans un premier temps, la validité et la fidélité de l'EMPA. Celle-ci semble donc prěte à ětre utilisée en recherche auprès des personnes âgées. A cet effet, on suggère un certain nombre de pistes pour les recherches futures quant à son utilisation dans ce secteur.     

AN ANALYSIS OF ERROR-CORRECTION PROCEDURES DURING DISCRIMINATION TRAINING

Mechanisms involved in error-correction procedures during behavioral acquisition were examined. Seven developmentally delayed subjects participated in match-to-sample discrimination training, consisting of three conditions arranged in a multielement design. Correct responses in all conditions were followed by praise and either food or pennies. In the baseline condition (differential reinforcement), an error produced no consequences. In the practice condition, an error was followed by repetition of the trial until a correct response occurred. In the avoidance condition, an error was followed by additional trials consisting of irrelevant stimuli; this condition separated the effects of repeated exposure to the same task from those of negative reinforcement, both of which existed in the practice condition. All 7 subjects made noticeable progress in the baseline condition. However, 5 of the 7 performed better in one of the error-correction conditions: 2 performed better in the practice condition, and 3 performed better in the avoidance condition. These data indicate that error-correction procedures may serve multiple functions and suggest that the practice requirement in this study included both avoidance and stimulus control components. More generally, the data indicate that additional control procedures should be included in acquisition studies to identify the relevant behavioral mechanism(s).     

ESTABLISHING OPERATIONS AND REINFORCEMENT EFFECTS

Positive reinforcement procedures have had a major impact on educational programs for the developmentally disabled; nevertheless, variation in reinforcer effectiveness both within and across individuals is a common phenomenon. This study examined one class of variables—establishing operations—that might influence the effectiveness of reinforcers. Five developmentally disabled adult males participated. Responding on one of two motor tasks—switch closure or block placement—was assessed during baseline, satiation, and deprivation conditions with respect to three classes of consequences: small food items, music, and social praise. Deprivation and satiation conditions were constructed so as not to alter significantly the normal course of events in a subject's day. For example, food deprivation entailed scheduling sessions just prior to a subject's regular lunch, and social deprivation involved limiting a subject's access to social interaction for 15 minutes, during which time the subject had access to an assortment of other activities. Results showed that each stimulus class functioned as reinforcement with different degrees of effectiveness during satiation versus deprivation conditions. These results are discussed in light of previous research on enhancement of reinforcer efficacy as well as the assessment and identification of functional reinforcers, and implications are presented for future research and client habilitation.     

The Prejudicial Impact of Pretrial Publicity1

The current studies examine the influence of pretrial publicity on potential jurors' attitudes toward a defendant. In Study 1, following one year of newspaper coverage of the investigation, arrest, and indictment of defendants for distributing large quantities of marijuana in southern Illinois, 604 potential jurors in that district were surveyed regarding their knowledge of the case, general attitudes toward crime, and attitudes toward the specific case. Analyses of the survey data revealed that knowledge of the case specifics was positively and significantly correlated with perceived culpability of the defendant but nonsignificantly correlated with willingness to admit partiality. Study 2 dealt with a highly publicized Dade County, Florida murder of a police officer in a drug sting operation. Again knowledge of pretrial publicity correlated significantly with perceived culpability of the defendant. As in Study 1, such knowledge did not correlate with stated ability to be impartial. We conclude that even modest pretrial publicity can prejudice potential jurors against a defendant and that self-reports of impartiality should not be taken at face value.