How do Jewish teachings relate to beliefs about depression in the strictly orthodox Jewish community?

The aim of this study was to explore whether and, if so, how Jewish teachings influence strictly orthodox Jewish beliefs about depression. The rabbinic literature was searched for Jewish teachings relevant to depression. Ten consenting strictly orthodox Jews were purposively selected and interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule focussing on their beliefs about causes of and treatments for depression. Thematic analysis was used to analyse transcribed interviews and explore relationships between community beliefs and the Jewish teachings identified in the review. The key themes in both the rabbinic literature and the community included the overriding importance in Judaism of preserving life, using appropriate, acceptable means to do so, and obligations to help others. Contrasts between rabbinic teachings and community beliefs included community concerns about stigma, generally lacking in the rabbinic literature, and greater rabbinic emphasis on spiritual exertion in dealing with depression. Findings could prove useful to those managing depressed, orthodox Jews.     

Dimensions of Social Well-Being in a Motor Manufacturing Organisation in South Africa

The study examined the psychometric properties of the 15-item version of the Social Well-being Scale (SWBS-15: Keyes, 1998) for a South African sample with diversity in culture. The SWBS-15 and a biographical questionnaire were administered to employees in a motor manufacturing organisation (N = 203). The five-factor structure of social well-being obtained previously in Western studies, were not replicated. Instead, we found three factors with acceptable levels of internal consistency emerged through exploratory factor analysis. Significant differences regarding social well-being were obtained between groups that differed in terms of their marital status and job levels. The results suggest that social well-being in South Africa might be operationalized differently than it is currently operationalized in traditional western measurements.     

Duplicate publication and ‘paper inflation’ in the fractals literature

The similarity of documents in a large database of published Fractals articles was examined for redundancy. Three different text matching techniques were used on published Abstracts to identify redundancy candidates, and predictions were verified by reading full text versions of the redundancy candidate articles. A small fraction of the total articles in the database was judged to be redundant. This was viewed as a lower limit, because it excluded cases where the concepts remained the same, but the text was altered substantially. Far more pervasive than redundant publications were publications that did not violate the letter of redundancy but rather violated the spirit of redundancy. There appeared to be widespread publication maximization strategies. Studies that resulted in one comprehensive paper decades ago now result in multiple papers that focus on one major problem, but are differentiated by parameter ranges, or other stratifying variables. This ‘paper inflation’ is due in large part to the increasing use of metrics (publications, patents, citations, etc) to evaluate research performance, and the researchers’ motivation to maximize the metrics. The views in this paper are solely those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of the Navy or any of its components, UNAM, University of Virginia or University of Karlsruhe.     

The neural correlates of implicit and explicit sequence learning: Interacting networks revealed by the process dissociation procedure

In two H2(15)O PET scan experiments, we investigated the cerebral correlates of explicit and implicit knowledge in a serial reaction time (SRT) task. To do so, we used a novel application of the Process Dissociation Procedure, a behavioral paradigm that makes it possible to separately assess conscious and unconscious contributions to performance during a subsequent sequence generation task. To manipulate the extent to which the repeating sequential pattern was learned explicitly, we varied the pace of the choice reaction time task-a variable that is known to have differential effects on the extent to which sensitivity to sequence structure involves implicit or explicit knowledge. Results showed that activity in the striatum subtends the implicit component of performance during recollection of a learned sequence, whereas the anterior cingulate/mesial prefrontal cortex (ACC/MPFC) supports the explicit component. Most importantly, we found that the ACC/MPFC exerts control on the activity of the striatum during retrieval of the sequence after explicit learning, whereas the activity of these regions is uncoupled when learning had been essentially implicit. These data suggest that implicit learning processes can be successfully controlled by conscious knowledge when learning is essentially explicit. They also supply further evidence for a partial dissociation between the neural substrates supporting conscious and nonconscious components of performance during recollection of a learned sequence.     

Construct validity of the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale for clients with anxiety disorder

The Global Assessment of Functioning Scale is a widely used although poorly researched measurement of overall mental health or illness. This study investigated construct validity for clients with anxiety disorder. Analysis suggests that current suicidality was the most significant predictor of ratings. Current homicidality, work/school problems, and inability to care for oneself were not significantly correlated with scale ratings.     

An olfactometer for small rodents

An olfactometer that captures and delivers biological odors at experimenter-controlled times, without dilution, is described. The apparatus is quiet, efficient, versatile, animal-safe, and fairly inexpensive. Tests indicate that the device is successful in isolating transitory odors.     

Sex stereotypes and implicit personality theory: Toward a cognitive—Social psychological conceptualization

Progress in understanding sex stereotypes has been impeded by the failure of researchers to address two critical conceptual questions: What is a sex stereotype? How do sex stereotypes function in social cognition and behavior? As a step toward answering the first question, the meaning of the term “sex stereotype” was considered. On the basis of points of agreement among extant conceptual definitions of the construct “stereotype” (in both the female-male and ethnic relations literatures), a generic definition of “sex stereotypes” is proposed: the structured sets of beliefs about the personal attributes of women and of men. In order to relate sex stereotypes more closely to research and theory on “normal” psychological processes, this basic definition is recast in terms of the person perception construct, “implicit personality theory”: the structured sets of inferential relations that link personal attributes to the social categories female and male. Two studies are presented to illustrate the utility of this translation. The remainder of the article addresses the second question. Here we offer preliminary ideas regarding a more general cognitive—social psychological framework for the study of sex stereotypes. Stereotype and stereotyping are distinguished, and each is discussed in light of relevant research in cognitive and social psychology.     

‘What meaning does somebody's death have,what meaning does somebody's life have?’ Psychotherapists’ stories of their work with suicidal clients

Working with suicidal clients is perceived to be demanding and anxiety provoking for psychotherapists. This investigation explores what it is like for psychotherapists who work with suicidal clients, particularly as within the prevailing culture there is an increasing focus on strategies aimed at suicide prevention. Five themes were identified through narrative analysis, with support systems such as supervision and peer support being seen as vital in surviving working with suicidal clients. However, there is also ambivalence about involving other professionals, such as mental health services, as there is a sense that to do so may be anti-therapeutic and unhelpful to the client. Overall, what emerges from this study is that it is important to challenge the prevailing culture in which a medical discourse is dominant, in order to find a different way of talking about suicide and despair.