Decision behavior with changing signal strength

The Theory of Signal Detectability (TSD) has nearly replaced classical notions of the threshold because of its ability to separate sensory and decision processes in weak-signal detection and recognition paradigms. The primary emphasis of recent work has concentrated on the sensory rather than the decision aspects and almost all work has been exclusively at one signal strength. We propose a model to describe behavior at different signal strengths based on subjective rather than objective distributions. The model predicts performance at a constant likelihood ratio (LR) criterion (even though subjective distributions are the basis for determining cutoff criteria) unless the observer adopts a Subjective Neyman-Pearson (SNP) objective. Results from an experiment in visual discrimination suggest that some observers in fact operate at constant objective LR's as signal strength is varied randomly over a wide range. The objective LR's of the other subjects changed dramatically with signal strength, but this behavior is consistent with the use of a Subjective Neyman-Pearson (SNP) decision rule and the linear relation between subjective and objective log LR's found in the studies of subjective probability.     

The relationship between religion and cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality in the women's health initiative observational study

Some studies suggest that religiosity may be related to health outcomes. The current investigation, involving 92,395 Women's Health Initiative Observational Study participants, examined the prospective association of religious affiliation, religious service attendance, and strength and comfort from religion with subsequent cardiovascular outcomes and death. Baseline characteristics and responses to religiosity questions were collected at enrollment. Women were followed for an average of 7.7 years and outcomes were judged by physician adjudicators. Cox proportional regression models were run to obtain hazard ratios (HR) of religiosity variables and coronary heart disease (CHD) and death. After controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and prior health variables, self-report of religious affiliation, frequent religious service attendance, and religious strength and comfort were associated with reduced risk of all-cause mortality [HR for religious affiliation = 0.84; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.75–0.93] [HR for service attendance = 0.80; CI: 0.73–0.87] [HR for strength and comfort = 0.89; CI: 0.82–0.98]. However, these religion-related variables were not associated with reduced risk of CHD morbidity and mortality. In fact, self-report of religiosity was associated with increased risk of this outcome in some models. In conclusion, although self-report measures of religiosity were not associated with reduced risk of CHD morbidity and mortality, these measures were associated with reduced risk of all-cause mortality.     

Multicultural Counseling and the Orthodox Jew

The cultural diversity literature largely ignores the effects of religion, and especially Judaism, on counseling and psychotherapy. The author reviews the meager and mostly anecdotal accounts relating to Orthodox Jews in the literature of several related disciplines, including counseling, social work, psychology, and psychiatry. The objective is to identify the barriers, institutional and personal, that must be overcome before the Orthodox Jew can receive adequate mental health care and to suggest recommendations for clinical practice.     

A Family Physician in an Ultraorthodox Jewish Village

The ultraorthodox Jewish community of Kfar Habbad Village is a special minority community in the Israeli context, one with particular needs because of its special religious and social commitments. This paper gives a personal account of a family physician's work in treating this population. It emphasizes the unique role of the doctor in her ongoing interaction with the rabbis of the Village and the doctor's use of community resources in order to meet the special needs of the group.     

Issues in psychotherapeutic encounters of patients suspected of post-traumatic stress disorder malingering

The literature indicates on high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) malingering in various mental health settings but only few articles relate to therapeutic encounters with this population. The aim of this article is to present some of the difficulties that characterize psychotherapeutic encounters with patients suspected of PTSD malingering, and to examine the vicissitudes of significant elements of psychotherapy during these complex clinical situations. Some therapeutic interventions and indications that may help therapists to distinguish between patients with exaggerated symptomatology who suffer from true mental distress, and from full malingerers are also provided. It is argued that therapists and policy makers should relate to PTSD malingering more seriously due to the negative consequences of this phenomenon.     

The costs of caring: Gender identification increases threat following exposure to sexism

The current research examined whether group identification moderates the extent to which perceived ingroup discrimination is threatening, as indexed by physiological and self-report measures. Women read and gave a speech summarizing an article describing sexism as prevalent or rare. They then completed a distraction task and sat for a recovery period. Cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) was used to index threat experienced on an automatic level and self-reported anxiety was used to index threat experienced on a controlled level. Regardless of group identification, participants in the prevalent sexism (vs. rare sexism) condition exhibited a pattern of CVR consistent with threat during the speech and reported greater anxiety post-speech. During recovery, however, highly identified participants in the prevalent sexism condition exhibited a sustained threat pattern of CVR and reported higher anxiety post-recovery compared to low identifiers. High group identification may heighten the psychological and physiological burden of discrimination.