Cross-cultural model testing: toward a solution of the etic-emic dilemma

A model for the prediction of behavior from attitudinal components, developed by Triandis, was tested with samples of U.S. and Mexican women, and with fertility relevant behaviors. The elements of the model are etic, but the operationalizations of the various variables were done emically. Results support the model in both cultures. While the predictive utility of the model is equivalent in two cultures, there are social class differences on which component of the model is most emphasized. The U.S. upper-middle-class sample and the Mexican upper-middle-class sample emphasized the person's attitude toward the act, while the Mexican lower SES (socio-economic status) sample emphasized the person's normative beliefs (moral obligations).     

Normative location theory: Placement in continuous space

This paper selectively reviews an area of operations research, refered to as normative location theory, that deals with the placement of objects in continuous space. The computational procedures discussed in this literature require initially that a certain set objects be located a priori; the placement of the objects in a second set is then determined in such a way that the total “interaction” among the fixed and variable objects is minimized. A number of strategies appropriate for different distance functions are surveyed and a numerical example is given illustrating one particular iterative algorithm. Although the current versions of these location methods depend upon more than the nonmetric information contained in the proximity measures defined for all pairs of objects, they can be generalized, and consequently, several possible connections to nonmetric multidimensional scaling are pointed out.     

Estimated Intelligence Moderates Cognitive Processing Therapy Outcome for Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

Although patient intelligence may be an important determinant of the degree to which individuals may comprehend, comply with, and ultimately benefit from trauma-focused treatment, no prior studies have examined the impact of patient intelligence on benefit from psychotherapies for PTSD. We investigated the degree to which educational achievement, often used as a proxy for intelligence, and estimated full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) scores themselves moderated treatment outcomes for two effective psychotherapies for PTSD: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Written Exposure Therapy (WET). Participants, 126 treatment-seeking adults with PTSD (52% male; mean age = 43.9, SD = 14.6), were equally randomized to CPT and WET; PTSD symptom severity was measured at baseline and 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, and 60-weeks following the first treatment session. Multilevel models revealed that participants with higher FSIQ scores experienced significantly greater PTSD symptom reduction through the 24-week assessment in CPT but not WET; this effect did not persist through the 60-week assessment. Educational achievement did not moderate symptom change through either 24- or 60-weeks. Individuals with higher FSIQ who are treated with CPT may experience greater symptom improvement in the early stages of recovery.     

Beyond trigger warnings: Toward a trauma‐informed andragogy for the graduate theological classroom*

Although development of trauma‐informed pedagogy for elementary and secondary classrooms has developed significantly, a dearth of resources for trauma‐informed andragogy in graduate theological classrooms remains. Theological classrooms are a unique context in which many students and professors carry experiences of trauma with them. This article makes the case for the need for a trauma‐informed andragogical model for the graduate theological classroom by: discussing the pervasiveness of trauma; providing definitions of key terms that need to be understood for elaborating a trauma‐informed andragogy; recommending trauma‐informed principles for course design and class‐session planning based in safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment; and identifying a few next steps for cultivating trauma‐informed classrooms and institutions at the graduate level.     

Mothers and fathers and mothers and babies: Interrelationship among relationships

The relationship between perceived marital satisfaction and early mother-infant interaction was investigated. Seventeen mothers and their three-day-old infants served as subjects. Dyads were observed via a modified time-sampling technique during a hospital feeding session. Then mothers completed a questionnaire concerning their perceptions of the marital relationship. Correlational analyses revealed a significant covariance of positive perceptions of the expressive aspects of the marital relationship and heightened social interaction for mother and infant. An interrelationship was observed between mother-neonate social-visual communication and maternal reports of planned pregnancies, time spent talking with spouse, general ratings of “getting along with spouse,” and positive overall evaluations of the material relationship. Also observed was the interrelationship of mother holding infant away from close bodily contact with reports of decreased love felt toward spouse, less optimal perceptions of ease of emotional expression and spousal interest in maternal daily activities, and less optimal overall ratings of the relationship. Implications of the results and the need for further research are discussed.     

Infant clinical assessment procedure: Its applications for diagnosis and treatment in the second and third year

This article reports on some clinical applications in the 9 to 30 month age range of a new structured paradigm. The Infant Clinical Assessment Procedure (ICAP) is not a test, but an assessment technique. It is particularly aimed at the evaluation and ongoing monitoring of problems in the emotional development of infants. Its eight episodes represent a wide array of effective, social, and cognitive stimuli. The primary focus of these episodes is on the infant, with the exception of the mother-infant task that specifically gauges the mother-infant ralationship. It is suggested through case vignettes that the ICAP may be useful for the documentation of the efficacy of treatment.