Family Disruption and Social,Emotional and Behavioral Functioning in Middle Childhood

The association between family disruption and child socio-emotional and behavioral development is a relatively well-examined but as yet unresolved issue, and the conclusions of previous research have been ambiguous. Further, some studies have indicated that associations may depend on other risk factors, yet the question of heterogeneity has been relatively little discussed. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess associations between family disruption on the one hand and teacher-rated and self-reported outcomes on subscales from the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition (BASC-2) and the Behavior and Emotional Screening System (BESS) on the other, among a Danish sample of 817 normally developing schoolchildren. Specifically, we assessed (a) the extent to which background factors explained unadjusted associations and (b) whether associations were heterogeneous across the distribution of outcome measures. Results from ordinary least squares (OLS) models showed that relative to children from intact families, children from disrupted families had higher problem scores on BASC-2 subscales Externalizing Problems, Study Skills and School Problems even after controlling for a wide range of background factors. Quantile regression (QR) models showed that associations with Externalizing Problems and Study Skills were stronger among children with higher problem scores. Certain behavioral problems may therefore indicate increased vulnerability towards adverse events, such as family disruption. General screening for such problems could provide an opportunity to identify children in need of special attention and support against the potentially negative outcomes of family disruption for their school experience.     

Prospects for a Cultural-historical Psychology of Intelligence

The ideas of cultural-historical psychology have led to a new understanding of the human psyche as developing in the process of the subject acting in social and historical contexts. Such a “non-classical” reinterpretation of psychological concepts should be based on a theoretical and philosophical framework in order to explain genetic sources of these concepts. For this purpose, Il’enkov’s philosophy is of great significance. This is illustrated by discussing a possible cultural-historical understanding of the concept of intelligence. “If we enrich Vygotsky’s ideas with Il’enkov’s basic postulates, modern psychology and pedagogy will take a considerable step forward in study of the genesis and development of consciousness and of the individual subject of activity” (Davydov 1998, 92).     

Reconstructing N: A New Approach to Measuring Emotional Sensitivity

Neuroticism (N) assesses emotional sensitivity or lability, but the construct is poorly defined and instruments used to assess N are marred by a number of psychometric shortcomings. Neuroticism is also described in an overtly pejorative way, with items keyed for themes reflecting low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. The present paper presents a revised model based on a new questionnaire entitled the Emotional Sensitivity Scale (ESS). Using an innovative scenario technique to generate items, exploratory factor analysis of the responses of 242 participants yielded orthogonal dimensions for positive (other-oriented) and negative (self-centered) emotional sensitivity, and the structure was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis. Validation studies showed that the ESS dimensions were related in systematic ways to related psychometric instruments and that, as predicted, participants scoring high on the positive dimension were better able to recognize displayed emotions. The new scale offers a basis for extending the research on emotional sensitivity using empirically discriminable positive and negative components.     

Enhanced social docility in male hooded rats by dermal cautery of the vibrissal pads

Ablation of the vibrissal pads in rats causes subsequent deposition of scar tissue with little or no regrowth of the vibrissae. Cauterized and intact mature male Long Evans rats were tested for shockelicited fighting, mouse killing, and colony intrusion forms of laboratory-induced aggression. The results revealed that only conspecific social fighting is blocked by ablation of the major vibrissal follicles. Although no significant group differences were noted in tests for mouse killing, shock-elicited paired fighting and territorial defense against a strange intruder were minimal in cauterized groups. The results emphasize the importance of specific sensory experience in reference to distinct forms of aggressive responding and support a new experimental technique for further investigation of sensory interactions with sources of aggressive behavior.     

A Test of the Agency Hypothesis in Women��s Cosmetic Surgery Usage

Women??s agency??their ability to make conscious choices and to act on them??is a central consideration in feminist theories of cosmetic surgery. Several key issues in this longstanding debate are how much external or coercive influence women experience (or acknowledge) in their choice to pursue surgery, whether they are aware of sexist ideology more so than non-recipients, and whether their choice to pursue surgery exemplifies a strong sense of self worth. To test this agency hypothesis, we draw on survey data from a volunteer sample of 202 adult women ages 19?C86 years from the southern California region in the U.S. to compare cosmetic surgery recipients to non-recipients across these key socio-cultural and personal domains. Results reveal that cosmetic surgery recipients were more likely to have friends who had undergone cosmetic surgery, endorsed more covert sexist beliefs, exhibited greater media usage, and had higher household incomes, than non-recipients. Recipients also evidenced lower ratings in global self-esteem than non-recipients. These findings challenge some of the notions attendant to agency claims, and engage with conceptions of autonomy introduced in the feminist philosophical literature.     

At the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) remain recalcitrant to the medical profession, proving less suitable for homogenic treatment with respect to their aetiology, taxonomy and diagnosis. While the majority of existing medical research methods are designed for large scale population data and sufficiently homogenous groups, MUS are characterised by their heterogenic and complex nature. As a result, MUS seem to resist medical scrutiny in a way that other conditions do not. This paper approaches the problem of MUS from a philosophical point of view. The aim is to first consider the epistemological problem of MUS in a wider ontological and phenomenological context, particularly in relation to causation. Second, the paper links current medical practice to certain ontological assumptions. Finally, the outlines of an alternative ontology of causation are offered which place characteristic features of MUS, such as genuine complexity, context-sensitivity, holism and medical uniqueness at the centre of any causal set-up, and not only for MUS. This alternative ontology provides a framework in which to better understand complex medical conditions in relation to both their nature and their associated research activity.     

Religious Studies at Berkeley

The University of California at Berkeley has had a Group Major in Religious Studies since 1970, but there is no core faculty for the program. Efforts on the part of distinguished Berkeley faculty members over the years to create a viable department have met with no success. Now (in 1999), as a result of actions taken by the administration, the group major is in serious jeopardy.     

Subjective health complaints and health related quality of life in a population of health care workers

The aim of this study was to assess whether Subjective Health Complaints (SHC), demands and coping are associated with health-related quality of life in a population of health care workers. One hundred and nineteen employees in two nursing homes for the elderly filled in a questionnaire on health, exercise, psychological factors, and work conditions. Main outcome measures were SHC and quality of life measured by SF-36. High level of SHC was associated to low health-related quality of life. Low coping and high demands were related to low scores (low quality of life), and high coping and low demands to high scores on mental health. Pseudoneurological complaints (e.g. tiredness, sadness), high demands and low coping were associated with low mental health. The expected negative association between SHC and health-related quality of life was found. There was a positive association between coping and quality of life.