Gender subgroups and intergroup perception: adolescents' views of own-gender and other-gender groups

The authors examined intergroup bias and perceived group variability regarding gender subgroups relevant to the adolescent culture. Participants were 126 high school students, between 16 years and 19 years of age, who listed male and female subgroups, performed a series of group perception tasks, and, for each subgroup, indicated whether they themselves belonged to the group. Results showed that adolescents' perceptions of gender subgroups were subject to in-group favoritism and out-group derogation, as well as to group homogeneity effects. In line with predictions derived from Optimal Distinctiveness Theory, male and female participants favored in-groups over own-gender and other-gender out-groups and favored other-gender out-groups over own-gender outgroups. Ambivalence was particularly high with other-gender out-groups. The authors discussed implications for future research on the development of gender prejudice and for interventions to reduce prejudice.     

Hemispheric asymmetries for selective attention apparent only with increased task demands in healthy participants

This study examined the possibility that lack of behavioral evidence indicating hemispheric specialization for selective attention in healthy individuals is due to the use of tasks that are not sufficiently demanding to require selective attention. In a group of 43 participants (ages 17-23), we compared selective attention on a cued-response time task when the target was presented alone and when a distractor was simultaneously presented. The costs of invalid cueing were minimal when the right hemisphere (RH) processed the target relative to when the left hemisphere (LH) processed the target, but only for the high load condition. These results are interpreted as RH specialization in light of evidence suggesting that the RH can direct attention to a larger portion of the visual field.     

Evaluation of a DVD-based self-help program in highly socially anxious individuals--pilot study

High social anxiety is a risk factor for the incidence of social anxiety disorder (SAD). Early diagnosis and intervention may prevent more severe psychiatric courses. Self-help programs may be a convenient, accessible, and effective intervention. This study examined the efficacy of a newly developed self-help program for SAD in individuals with subthreshold social anxiety. A total of 24 highly socially anxious individuals were randomly assigned to a DVD-based self-help program or to a wait-list control group. The self-help program is based on the cognitive model according to Clark and Wells (1995; adapted to German by Stangier, Clark, & Ehlers, 2006) and comprises eight sessions. ANOVAs based on an intention-to-treat model were used for data analyses. The self-help program was well accepted; just one person withdrew during the intervention. There were significant Time × Group interactions on all primary outcome measures. For the intervention group moderate to high within-groups effect sizes up to Cohen's d = 1.05 were obtained. Between-groups effect sizes ranged from 0.24 to 0.65 in favor of the active intervention. The newly developed DVD-based self-help program seems to be a promising intervention for highly socially anxious individuals as it reduces social anxiety symptoms.     

审视马克思的工作室:马恩全集中的《资本论》及前期准备工作

本文以《资本论》及其手稿为例介绍了MEGA2即历史上第二次启动的马恩全集历史考证版的编纂工作和特征。作者指出,马克思和恩格斯之间的差异,以及马克思研究工作方式的开放性,是MEGA2这一历史考证版力图展现的两个重点,这一全集版本将开启通向马克思与恩格斯及其浩瀚著作的新入口。文章主体分三个部分,第一部分以《资本论》及其手稿的写作过程为例考察了马克思的工作方式,即他在研究写作中体现出的作为修改者和收集者的特征;第二部分以MEGA2中《资本论》及其手稿的编纂为例,介绍了这一历史考证版是如何展现马克思的工作方式,以及作者马克思和编者恩格斯之间差异的;第三部分介绍了目前网络空间里MEGA2的发布情况。     

The impact of information about the prevalence of AIDS-Preventive behavior among men and women: The mediating role of social norms

Abstract

The present study was designed to examine the effect of information about the high prevalence of safe sex on condom use intention, and to investigate the possible mediating role of the perceived social norm of friends, and the perceived social norm of future. sexual partners. Participants were provided with gender specific prevalence information, that is with the information that most men have exclusively safe sex, or with the information that most women exclusively engage in safe sexual behavior. The results show some gender differences. Information about the high prevalence of safe sex among men tends to increase women's condom use intention, and this effect seems to be mediated by the paceived social norm of future sexual partners. Men's intention, on the other hand, seems to be unaffected by high prevalence information of safe sex. Implications for research and prevention are discussed     

What Triggers Abnormal Eating in Bulimic and Nonbulimic Women?

Dissociative experiences and abnormal eating were examined in 92 non-eating-disordered women and 61 age-matched bulimic women. In the non-clinical sample of women, dissociative experiences were associated with abnormal eating attitudes and behavior, even after controlling for other forms of psychopathology; furthermore, dissociation mediated the relationships between abnormal eating and sexual abuse, abnormal eating and emotional distress, and abnormal eating and impulsivity. Analyses using both bulimic women and occasional binge eaters among the controls showed that a combination of reported negative affect and dissociative experiences preceding a binge was associated with the highest levels of abnormal eating. Finally, in both bulimic women and occasional binge eaters, feelings of panic appeared to decrease as a binge episode progressed, whereas, in bulimic women only, dissociative experiences appeared to increase during binge eating. The implications for the role of dissociation in combination with emotional distress in triggering and reinforcing abnormal eating in women are discussed.