Values in children's stories in South Africa: an exploratory discourse analysis

This study explored the presentation and construction of the values in story texts for children in South Africa. The data were from five children's stories from a widely-circulated weekly newspaper. The story content was analysed for value-laden themes child readers are exposed to. The themes to emerge from the study suggest the endorsement of values such as delighting in one's natural beauty, the importance of education, martyrdom, inclusivity, telling the truth, gratitude, appreciating one's own talent, truthfulness, respecting one's elders, community unity and forgiveness. Some of the stories touched on family structure, including the absent father as well as gender stereotypes, gender inequalities and social norms.     

Should supportive measures and relational variables be considered a part of psychoanalytic technique? Some empirical considerations

This article presents some quantitative findings from a survey of 89 psychoanalysts (all members of the American Psychoanalytic Association or the International Psychoanalytical Association) about their own experiences in analysis. A comprehensive questionnaire was used to collect retrospective data about (1) how participants felt they benefited from their analyses and (2) how they remembered their analysts’ technique, personality, and style of relating. A correlational analysis found that, according to our participants’ ratings, the most beneficial analyses were associated with having a caring and emotionally engaged analyst who possessed positive relational and personality qualities, used supportive techniques in addition to classical techniques, and pursued therapeutic as well as analytic goals. Outcomes rated as successful were also associated with experiencing a good ‘fit’, a good working relationship, and a positive therapeutic alliance. Our results support the call for an expanded view of acceptable analytic technique (e.g. Schacter and Kächele, 2007) .     

Decoding the implicit association test: Implications for criterion prediction

The implicit association test (IAT) is believed to measure implicit evaluations by assessing reaction times on two cognitive tasks, often termed “compatible” and “incompatible” tasks. A common rationale for studying the IAT is that it might improve our prediction and understanding of meaningful psychological criteria. To date, however, no clear psychometric theory has been advanced for this measure. We examine the theory, methods and analytic strategies surrounding the IAT in the context of criterion prediction to determine measurement and causal models a researcher embraces (knowingly or unknowingly) by using the test. Our analyses reveal that the IAT revolves around interpretation of two distinct relative constructs, one at the conceptual level and one at the observed level. We show that interest in relative implicit evaluations at the conceptual level imposes a causal model that is restrictive in form. We then examine measurement models of the IAT and show how computing a difference score at the observed level may lack empirical justification. These issues are highlighted in a study replicating an effect established in the literature (Study 1). We then introduce a new variant of the IAT and use it to evaluate the reasonableness of traditional IAT methods (Study 2).     

Body on My Mind: The Lingering Effect of State Self-objectification

Objectification theory explicates a model in which women are socialized to view their own bodies as objects to be evaluated. In the current study, we used a 2 (self-objectification condition: swimsuit versus sweater)?×?2 (gender) factorial design to examine whether body-related thoughts continued after women were removed from a self-objectifying situation. Results showed that, compared to participants in the other three groups, women in the self-objectification condition listed more body-related thoughts during a free response task given after they had re-dressed. The amount of shame experienced during self-objectification mediated the relationship between self-objectification condition and lingering body-related thoughts. This study adds to the understanding of how the process of self-objectification works to maintain women’s focus on their appearance.     

Assessing the vocational maturity of students in the East Central State of Nigeria

This study surveyed the vocational developmental pattern of Nigerian students using the Career Maturity Inventory (Crites). The results and their applicability to the Nigerian situation were discussed.