Do Applicants and Incumbents Respond to Personality Items Similarly? A Comparison of Dominance and Ideal Point Response Models

This study used an ideal point response model to examine the extent to which applicants and incumbents differ when responding to personality items. It was hypothesized that applicants' responses would exhibit less folding at high trait levels than incumbents' responses. We used sample data from applicants (N=1,509) and incumbents (N=1,568) who completed the 16 Personality Questionnaire Select. Differential item (DIF) and test functioning (DTF) analyses were conducted using the generalized graded unfolding model, which is based on ideal point model assumptions. Out of the 90 items, 50 showed DIF; however, only 11 were in the hypothesized direction. DTF was significant for 3 of the 12 scales; 2 were in the hypothesized direction.     

Treatment of food selectivity: An evaluation of video modeling of contingencies

Many children with disabilities have feeding problems including, but not limited to, food selectivity and/or food refusal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of video modeling of contingencies alone and combined with direct exposure to the contingencies in the treatment of food selectivity. Treatment procedures included sequentially introducing videos in which models consumed nonpreferred foods or were exposed to differential reinforcement or differential reinforcement plus escape extinction. In addition, during feeding sessions, participants were exposed to differential reinforcement. Results indicated that video modeling of differential reinforcement plus direct exposure to differential reinforcement may be effective at increasing consumption of some nonpreferred foods, but the results were not replicated across all foods. For one participant, consumption of one food increased with video modeling alone.     

Relation of successful dietary restriction to change in bulimic symptoms: a prospective study of adolescent girls.

Recent experimental evidence that dietary restriction results in decreased bulimic and depressive symptoms seems inconsistent with findings from prospective studies and etiologic theory. However, because the dieting manipulated in these experiments may be unrepresentative of real-world weight loss dieting, the authors tested whether successful dietary restriction was associated with decreases in these outcomes by using longitudinal data from a school-based study of 496 adolescent girls. Moderately overweight participants who evidenced successful dietary restriction showed significantly greater decreases in bulimic symptoms than weight-matched participants who did not show successful dietary restriction; however, there were no effects for depressive symptoms. In conjunction with past experimental findings, results seem to imply that successful dietary restriction curbs bulimic symptoms, suggesting that current etiologic models may need revision.     

Perspective taking in conflict settings: Can perspective taking smooth tensions between Trump and Clinton supporters in the aftermath of 2016 U.S. presidential election?

Can perspective taking improve intergroup attitudes in conflict contexts? How does a context of conflict shape people's responses to perspective-taking tasks and their ultimate effectiveness? The present study addressed these questions by examining the effect of perspective taking (compared with a perspective giving and a control condition) on intergroup attitudes between Trump and Clinton supporters (N = 537) one month after the 2016 presidential election. Perspective taking had positive effects on some intergroup attitudes: It increased warmth toward the outgroup (thermometer ratings), outgroup tolerance, perceived similarities between groups, and marginally increased positive outgroup evaluation. This study also sheds light on the mechanisms that might reduce the effectiveness of perspective taking in conflict settings by assessing the content and the effects of the induced perspectives in response to perspective-taking task. About half of the induced perspective-taking narratives involved negative views of the other, which were associated with worse intergroup outcomes. In addition, higher perceived intensity of the conflict between Trump and Clinton supporters and more negative emotions about the election outcome predicted more induced negative perspectives as a response to the perspective-taking task. In turn, negative perspectives were associated with more negative intergroup attitudes. To sum up, while perspective taking had an overall positive impact on intergroup attitudes in this conflict setting, its impact seems to be contingent upon the content of induced perspective-taking narratives.     

Cultural Dimensions of Early Pregnancy Loss: Spiritual and Religious Issues

Nearly one in five clinically confirmed pregnancies ends in a loss before 20 weeks (Bardos et al., 2015). Despite the prevalence of miscarriage, many women and partners experience a lack of acknowledgment and support while also encountering complicated concerns related to the intersection of perinatal loss, culture, religious and spiritual issues, medical treatment, their reproductive stories, and grief (Randolph et al., 2015). Counselors working with these clients must address complex cultural considerations. As such, we review key cultural and religious/spiritual issues related to early pregnancy loss and offer recommendations for practice based on the current literature in the context of the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (2009) counseling competencies.