Source Characteristics in Denying Rumors of Organizational Closure: Honesty Is the Best Policy

Effect of source honesty and appropriateness on effectiveness of rumor denial was tested. When the source was perceived as high on honesty, the denial was more successful in reducing belief and anxiety associated with the rumor. Source appropriateness (operationalized as a combination of source knowledgeability and status) did not have a main effect on belief or anxiety reduction. Honesty and appropriateness had an additive effect, such that the denial was most successful in reducing belief when the source was perceived as high on both honesty and appropriateness.     

The Ethics of Enhanced Interrogations and Torture: A Reappraisal of the Argument

This article critically reviews what is known about the ethical status of psychologists’ putative involvement with enhanced interrogations and torture (EITs). We examine three major normative ethical accounts (utilitarian, deontic, and virtue ethics) of EITs and conclude, contra the American Psychological Association, that reasonable arguments can be made that in certain cases the use of EITs is ethical and even, in certain circumstances, morally obligatory. We suggest that this moral question is complex as it has competing moral values involved, that is, the humane treatment of detainee competes with the ethical value/duty/virtue of protecting innocent third parties. We also suggest that there is an ethical duty to minimize harm by making only judicious and morally responsible allegations against the psychologists alleged to be involved in EITs. Finally, we make recommendations regarding completing the historical record, improvements in the professional ethics code, and the moral treatment of individuals accused in this controversy.     

Risk-taking behavior and adolescent suicide attempts

This study examined the overall rates of common risk-taking behaviors in a sample of 109 adolescents, aged 13 to 18 years, who made a suicide attempt, compared to a matched control sample of 218 adolescents in the community. No differences in either the total number of risk-taking behavior or the frequency of individual risk-taking behaviors were found. These findings suggest that suicide attempts in adolescents are not a function of risk-taking behavior.     

Adolescents’ perceptions of health and well-being: Influences of urban contemporary music

The study aimed to explore adolescents’ perceptions of how urban contemporary music influences health and well-being among them. Data on health and well-being effects of music consumption were gathered from a convenience sample of 16 participants (male = 50%, females = 50%) between the ages of 15 and 17 in a series of two focus group interviews. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings suggest the adolescents to perceive both positive and negative influences of contemporary music on their health and well-being. Positive influences included emotional well-being and sense of social belongingness. Negative influences included promotion of risky behaviours, including substance use, misogyny, sexual behaviour and violence. The findings suggest that urban contemporary music serves as a tool of normalisation as well as a catalyst for encouraging risky behaviour in adolescence.     

The Relationship Between Hostile Interpretation Bias and Symptoms of Depression and Social Anxiety: a Replication Across Two Samples

Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment - Cognitive models of social anxiety and depression posit that hostile interpretation bias may be a symptom of, and act as a maintenance factor...     

Measurement Properties for a Scale Assessing Self-Regulation in Parents and Parenting Practitioners

Journal of Child and Family Studies - Parenting self-regulation is increasingly recognised as an important facet of positive parenting, as it allows parents to manage their thoughts, behaviours,...     

Parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) in young children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based treatment for typically developing children with disruptive behavior. We conducted a randomized-controlled trial of PCIT versus wait-list control (WLC) with 23 children with ASD (3–7?years) and disruptive behavior. Over 16 treatment sessions, PCIT significantly predicted reductions in disruptive behavior over WLC and explained a significant variation in scores on the ECBI Intensity subscale. Additionally, parent skills improved significantly compared to WLC. However, no statistically significant group differences were found on child compliance rates, autism severity, or parental stress. Results support PCIT as an evidence-based treatment for disruptive behavior in ASD.

• Highlights

• Parent skills were significantly improved for those receiving PCIT

• Intensity of disruptive behaviors decreased significantly for those receiving PCIT

• Parental stress and autism severity did not significantly decrease with PCIT

     

Reentry Needs: Men Who Are Young,Hispanic, Older,or With Mental Illness

Perceptions of the needs for successful reentry among incarcerated men from diverse backgrounds were investigated using phenomenological qualitative methods. Twenty‐nine men serving time in a northeastern U.S. correctional facility, which concentrated on treatment of substance use, participated in four focus groups. Young men found it most important to make personal changes, Hispanic men to maintain personal identity, older men to receive structural support, and men with mental illness to connect with family.     

The visual hemifield asymmetry in the spatial blink during singleton search and feature search

The present study examined a visual field asymmetry in the contingent capture of attention that was previously observed by Du and Abrams (2010). In our first experiment, color singleton distractors that matched the color of a to-be-detected target produced a stronger capture of attention when they appeared in the left visual hemifield than in the right visual hemifield. This replicated Du and Abrams and also revealed a difference between hemifields in the time course of this effect. Our second experiment suggested that this asymmetry is moderated by the tuning of attentional control settings: when the target was easier to detect the asymmetry was attenuated. Our third experiment showed that this asymmetry is also present during singleton detection: a color singleton distractor produced a larger capture effect in the left hemifield than in the right hemifield. Finally, our fourth experiment suggested that this asymmetry is moderated by the salience of the attention-capturing distractor: when the distractor was not salient, the asymmetry was attenuated. These results suggest that there are boundary conditions in the observed hemifield asymmetry in the contingent capture of attention and several underlying brain systems might be involved.