The Language of Love: Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Language Use in Online Personal Advertisements

Stereotypes and biological theories suggest that psychological gender differences found in predominantly heterosexual samples are smaller or reversed among gay men and lesbians. Computerized text analysis that compares peoples language style on a wide range of dimensions from pronoun use to body references offers a multivariate personality marker to test such assumptions. Analysis of over 1,500 internet personal advertisements placed by heterosexual men, heterosexual women, gay men, and lesbians found little evidence that orientation alters the impact of gender on linguistic behaviors. Previously reported gender differences were replicated in the gay as well as the heterosexual advertisements studied. Main effects of sexual orientation indicated that gay people of both sexes apparently felt less need to differentiate themselves from potential mates than did heterosexual people. Virtually no crossover sexual orientation by sex interactions emerged indicating that several popular models of sexual orientation are not supported on a linguistic level.     

Beyond "healthy eating" and "healthy weights": harassment and the health curriculum in middle schools

In this paper we use data from interviews conducted with grades 7 and 8 girls to explore connections between body-based harassment and girls’ body modification practices. We discuss how the elementary health curricula fail to consider harassment and other cultural factors that influence the body modification practices and eating patterns of diverse girls. More specifically, we argue that the “healthy eating, healthy weights” approach of the grades 7 and 8 Ontario health curriculum has five limitations: (1) it sends contradictory messages; (2) it increases anxieties about body weight; (3) it ignores the multiple causes of eating problems; (4) it marginalizes issues most relevant to racialized girls; and (5) it ignores dilemmas associated with physical development. We conclude with suggestions for developing a curriculum on body dissatisfaction and eating disorders prevention that considers the various socio-cultural factors influencing the range of body monitoring and modifying practices taken up by girls.     

Hope against the cold: individual differences in trait hope and acute pain tolerance on the cold pressor task

Hope theory (see Snyder, 1994) is presented as a useful framework for understanding reactions to pain. In Study 1, persons scoring higher on the trait Hope Scale (Snyder, Harris et al., 1991) kept their hands in the freezing water (of a cold pressor task) for significantly longer. In Study 2, the higher-hope males, and not females, as measured by both trait and state hope (Snyder, Sympson et al., 1996), recognized the onset of the pain threshold significantly later. Moreover, in Study 2, results showed that individual differences measures of optimism, self-efficacy, depression, and positive and negative affects did not relate to the pain onset and tolerance variables. The implications of hope as related to the pain process and related research are discussed.     

Stressful situations and coping strategies in relation to age

Whether people cope differently with negative events at different ages was assessed by relation to age by type of situation perceived as potentially stressful and by type of coping strategy used, and also whether the kind of coping strategy used to reduce the potential stressor was related to type of stressor. To do this the factor structure of the Spanish version of the Ways of Coping Checklist of Lazarus and Folkman was examined in an Argentine sample of 153. The factor analysis of checklist scores identified five factors: Cognitive redefinition, Problem focus, Seeking social support, Wishful thinking, and Avoidance. For two groups, ages 20 to 24 and 40 to 45 years, analysis indicated a significant association of type of situation perceived as potentially stressful with age. The middle-age group (40-45 yr.) chose a way of coping in problem solution but the young adult group (20-24 yr.) seemed more often to elude problems. It appears that the type of stressor influences type of coping.     

Mother–Son Interactions in Families of Boys With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder With and Without Oppositional Behavior

Parenting responsiveness and over-reactivity were assessed among 25 mothers of 7–9-year-old sons with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and oppositional behavior (Oppositional Defiant, OD), 24 mothers of sons with ADHD only, and 38 mothers of nonproblem sons. Responsiveness was observed during mother–son play and clean-up interactions and over-reactivity was assessed using self-reports of parenting in discipline situations. Mothers of sons with ADHD/OD were less responsive and more over-reactive than mothers of nonproblem sons, and mothers of sons with ADHD only did not differ from the other groups. Mothers of sons with ADHD/OD reported more hostility than mothers of nonproblem sons, and controlling for maternal hostility eliminated the significant group differences in responsiveness during clean-up and in over-reactivity. Controlling for the childs ADHD subtype did not alter the pattern of results. The implications for addressing responsiveness and over-reactivity as components of parent-mediated behavioral treatments for ADHD are considered.     

Being better by being right: subjective group dynamics and derogation of in-group deviants when generic norms are undermined

The authors predicted that derogation of group deviants depends on the extent to which in-group norms or values are validated or undermined in a social context. In Experiment 1 participants were less tolerant and derogated in-group deviants more when other in-group members opposed the norm. In Experiment 2 participants derogated in-group deviants more than out-group deviants and than noncategorized individuals, but only when normative in-group members lacked uniformity. In Experiment 3 participants derogated in-group deviants more when there was uncertainty about in-group superiority. These results are consistent with previous research on the black sheep effect (J. M. Marques, V. Y. Yzerbyt, & J. -P. Leyens, 1988) and with the model of subjective group dynamics (D. Abrams, J. M. Marques, N. J. Bown, & M. Henson, 2000; J. M. Marques, D. Abrams, D. Paez, & C. Martinez-Taboada, 1998).     

Learning from within: Therapists' actions in daily clinical practice

The integration of theories and techniques is part of family therapists' daily practice, raising the need to understand which resources are used in this professional's clinical actions. Our aim is to reflect on the use of theoretical and technical resources by family therapists in their daily practice. We developed an inquiry process inspired by collaborative action research and social constructionism. Couple and family therapy sessions were conducted by two family therapists, and we developed subsequent dialogs with them focused on describing theoretical and technical inspirations for their actions. Next, we named four categories of actions in this process: exploratory actions, actions for the construction of relational visions, actions for the construction of communication, and actions for family orientation. The therapists-participants referred to many theoretical and technical resources that inspired their practice. For them, the choice of using one or another resource was based on the demands of the interactive moment, which involves their relational and embodied responses to what was experienced in the sessions. We argue that epistemological coherence is not something that guides the therapist's practice a priori, but something that can be achieved by talking about and reflecting on their actions. This article can contribute to clinical practice and training in family therapy by presenting an interesting reflexive process that can be useful to enhance practice in couple and family therapy (FAPESP, Process n. 2015/21316–1).     

Multifamily interventions in the context of inherited genetic conditions: A scoping review

This scoping review sought to examine the existing literature on multifamily interventions with families dealing with inherited genetic conditions. It also seeks to identify gaps in the evidence to help guide future research and intervention development. Four databases (PubMed, Web of Sciences, Scopus and PsycInfo) were systematically searched and analysed, resulting in five publications for inclusion. The main findings evidence two main themes: characteristics of multifamily interventions, and evaluation of the intervention and impact on participants. These findings suggest that multifamily interventions can provide families with extended support beyond the care usually offered by genetic healthcare services and contribute to enhancing positive change in key aspects of adaptation and coping with an inherited genetic conditions. Multifamily discussion groups are a methodology that is particularly suitable when working with families in this context. Collaboration between genetic healthcare services and accredited systemic family therapists is required to sustain the implementation of multifamily discussion groups and their feasibility. Research on the effectiveness, feasibility and economic viability of multifamily interventions is also needed.