Shifts in attention biases in response to acute pain induction: examination of a model of "conversion" among repressors

Unlike most people, those who are characterized by a repressive coping style report high levels of physical (sensory) pain but low levels of emotional distress (affective pain), which is a discrepancy that may suggest a "conversion" process. In two studies, we tested an attention allocation model, proposing that repressors direct attention away from threatening negative affective information and toward nonthreatening physical pain information during emotionally arousing (painful) situations. In Study 1, 84 participants underwent a cold pressor and then recovered. Repressors reported greater pain during recovery than low- and high-anxious participants, but they reported lower distress than high-anxious participants. Repressors reported significant and large discrepancies between high pain and low distress, whereas these differences were less pronounced for other groups. In Study 2, 77 participants underwent an ischemic pain task while performing a modified dot-probe task with sensory and negative affective pain words as stimuli. Repressors showed increasing biases away from affective pain words and toward sensory pain words as the pain task continued, whereas low- and high-anxious participants did not show these shifts in attention. The results support the notion that conversion among repressors may involve a process by which attention is directed away from emotional distress during noxious stimulation and is focused instead on sensory information from pain.     

Mathematical Methods in Small Group Processes Edited by Joan Criswell,Herbert Solomon,and Patrick Suppes: Types of Formalization in Small Group Research by Joseph Berger,Bernard P. Cohen,J. Laurie Snell,Morris Zelditch

The theory and the therapeutic procedure of classical psychodrama are described along with brief illustrations. Classical psychodrama and sociodrama stemmed from role theory, enactments, “tele,” the reciprocity of choices, and the theory of spontaneity-robopathy and creativity. The discussion focuses on key concepts such as the therapeutic team, the structure of the session, transference and reality, countertransference, the here-and-now and the encounter, the group-as-a-whole, resistance and difficult clients, and affect and cognition. Also described are the neoclassical approaches of psychodrama, action methods, and clinical role playing, and the significance of the concept of behavioral simulation in group psychotherapy.     

Rorschach Populars In a Sample of Haitian Protocols

Research on the Rorschach Prognostic Rating Scale done in the last 25 years is summarized. The study results are organized into six topics: ability to predict outcome, numerical correlations, populations differentiated, populations not differentiated, specific therapies. The scale significantly predicts outcome and is thereby a valuable prognostic instrument.     

Crippled feet

Critics of Lars von Trier's film Antichrist have regarded the depicted woman's destructive fury as difficult to understand. In this paper, separation anxiety is discussed as a central unconscious motivation behind the aggressive interaction between husband and wife, and the child is discussed as an obstacle to the mother's exclusive relationship with her husband. The film powerfully conveys how sadistic aggression is unconsciously acted out between mother and son, as symbolized by the mother's crippling of her son's feet. The woman's violence is also a reaction to a her husband “therapist” who, wishing to correct her, fails to understand and contain her inner world, wherefore the therapeutic dialogue itself, disguised as help, is experienced as violently aggressive. This in turn engenders a wish for revenge. Against this background, the film is seen as a critique of cognitively oriented therapy.     

Violence prevention: Program effects on urban preschool and kindergarten children

This study compares the effectiveness of a violence prevention program with young, at-risk children in two settings. Preschool and kindergarten students, residing in Chicago public-housing developments, participated in a 28-session intervention. Knowledge, behavior problems, and social skills were assessed at pretest and posttest, based on child interviews, teacher ratings, and behavioral observations. Findings suggest that both preschool and kindergarten children demonstrated significant gains in knowledge, based on interview scores, and significant decreases in problem behaviors, based on behavioral observations; however, teacher ratings did not change significantly across time. The discrepancy in findings is explored and implications are discussed.     

Students' Ethical Awareness and Conceptions of Research Ethics

The study focused on university students' understanding and conceptions of ethical issues in research. Domain-specific and domain-transcending measures were developed to gauge the students' awareness of ethical issues. Responses were obtained from 269 undergraduate and graduate students at a U.S. regional university. Participant withdrawal, the debriefing of research participants, the dissemination of findings, and giving credit to co-contributors were the most challenging ethical issues for the students. Ethical awareness was predicted by professional and organizational socialization, and perspective taking. Contextualization greatly improved the students' ability to recognize ethical issues. Simulations and role-taking are suggested as the means with which to teach students about the ethical issues perceived as challenging.     

Examining Predictors Which May Influence Sentencing Outcomes for Individuals Convicted of Offenses against Children: A Brief Report

Numerous studies examine sentencing decisions, yet little attention has been given to sentencing of child maltreatment and, more specifically, on variables that could impact sentencing outcomes for this form of criminality. Using Pennsylvania Sentencing Data for 2006, this research adds to the existing sentencing research by exploring predictors that might influence sentencing decisions for individuals convicted of crimes against children. The findings indicate that offender sex significantly affects the sentencing decision and offender age significantly affects sentencing length. In addition, all offense characteristics significantly influence the sentencing length decision. Implication of these results and directions for future research are discussed.