The Power of a Co‐witness: When More Power Leads to More Conformity

The effect of the power dynamic between co‐witnesses on memory conformity for images was investigated. Participant–confederate pairs were first presented with 50 images on a computer and then were randomly assigned to one of three social power role combinations analogous to those present in the workplace: manager and subordinate, subordinate and manager, or collaborators with equal power and status. After role assignment (but without ever engaging in the role‐related tasks), pairs were tested on whether each of 100 images (50 old and 50 new) had or had not been shown previously. Confederates always responded before participants. Subordinates were significantly less likely to conform than managers. Findings are discussed in light of the work‐related facet of social power and memory distortion. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How Transdiagnostic Factors of Personality and Psychopathology Can Inform Clinical Assessment and Intervention

Research suggests that many mental disorders—mood and anxiety, substance use, and personality psychopathology—are related through relatively few latent transdiagnostic factors. With regard to the comorbidity of personality disorders and common mental disorders, factor structures such as internalizing–externalizing have been replicated in numerous samples, across the life span, and around the globe. One critical feature of transdiagnostic factors is that they serve as a point of intersection between personality and psychopathology, making them particularly relevant phenomena for applied clinical work. Although numerous studies have supported the significance of transdiagnostic factors for research and classification purposes, there has been comparatively less articulation of how such factors might be of benefit to practicing assessment clinicians. Herein, we present an overview of transdiagnostic factor research findings, and we apply these findings to the clinical topics of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. For clinicians as well as researchers, the use of transdiagnostic constructs presents positive implications for efforts to understand, characterize, and ameliorate psychopathology—including its manifestations as personality disorder—in a valid, effective, and efficient way.     

GLOBAL VISIONS AND COMMON GROUND: BIODEMOCRACY,POSTMODERN PRESSURES,AND THE EARTH CHARTER

The theme of this article is a rise in notions of a planetary community, and the tensions this evokes in global‐local and universal‐contextual debates. The primary focus is the realization that new visions are needed to respond to ecological dilemmas in a culturally diverse yet global world and interconnected Earth. Of the many ways to discuss this, I first consider the growing interest in and expansion of biodemocracy as a way to combine these dimensions. Insights and issues from postmodern perspectives follow this, surveying the suspicion of what lurks behind “global.” The next segment turns to ecological postmodernists who realize that a unifying path must be found for a viable planetary future. A brief and final section considers the Earth Charter to be an initiative responsive to postmodern pressures, and yet seeking a global vision and common ground for an emerging world community.     

Personality in DSM-5: helping delineate personality disorder content and framing the metastructure

The transition from the Diagnostic and Statistical Model of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text revision [DSM-IV-TR]; American Psychiatric Association, 2000 ) to the fifth edition (DSM-5) represents an unprecedented opportunity to integrate dimensional personality trait models into the official nosology. Not surprisingly, a variety of issues have arisen in contemplating this challenging integration. In this article, we address how a dimensional personality trait model could be a helpful component of DSM-5, from the perspective of our roles as work group members and advisors involved in the creation of a trait model and corresponding assessment instrument. We focus in particular on two potential roles for a trait model in DSM-5 that are under official consideration. First, a dimensional personality trait model might be helpful in delineating the content of personality disorders. Second, a trait model might assist in organizing the "metastructure" of DSM-5 (i.e., the arrangement of chapters and other broader classificatory rubrics).     

Increased Risk of Suicidal Ideation in Smokers and Former Smokers Compared to Never Smokers: Evidence from the Baltimore ECA Follow‐Up Study

The incidence rate of suicidal ideation among current and former smokers versus never smokers is not known. In this study, the age‐adjusted incidence of suicidal ideation was highest among current smokers, followed by former, then never smokers. The adjusted hazard for suicide ideation was 2.22 (95%CI = 1.48, 3.33) and 1.19 (95%CI = 0.78, 1.82) for current and former smokers, respectively, compared to never smokers. Results indicate that current smokers have increased risks of suicidal ideation above and beyond the risk for never and former smokers regardless of age, gender, history of depressive disorder or anxiety symptoms, and alcohol abuse/dependence. Smoking cessation might be beneficial for some suicide prevention efforts.     

Recognition of maternal environment in piglets: effects of age and some discrete complex stimuli

Ethological evidence suggests that 1-week-old piglets can distinguish between their own mother or home environment and alien ones. The bases for this discrimination were investigated in two series of experiments employing a T-maze. In the first series, the apparatus was placed between two pens each housing a sow and its piglets, with each of the two goal-arms having a wire mesh end protruding into one of the pens. When piglets from each of these pens (as well as controls from other litters) were run individually in the apparatus, piglets of all ages from 1 to 14 days showed preferential responses towards their home environment. In the second series of experiments, various discrete but complex natural stimuli were placed at the end of the goal-arms: in each case, the stimuli in the two goal-arms were indentical in nature except in their derivation from the maternal pen or an alien one. One-week-old piglets showed a significant preference for their own mother (vs. another sow visible and audible through wire mesh), for wood shavings mixed with sow faeces from their own pen (on the floor of the goal-arm), and for air blown over maternal faeces and shavings. But they showed no evidence of distinguishing between a littermate and another piglet (penned at the other side of the wire mesh terminating a goal-arm).