The relationship of vocational decidedness and satisfaction with dogmatism and self-esteem

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of levels of vocational decidedness and the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of one's level of vocational decidedness with dogmatism and self-esteem. The results indicated that vocationally decided and undecided subjects represent uniquely different populations on measures of dogmatism and self-esteem.     

Planned Happenstance: Constructing Unexpected Career Opportunities

Chance plays an important role in everyone's career, but career counseling is still perceived as a process designed to eliminate chance from career decision making. Traditional career counseling interventions are no longer sufficient to prepare clients to respond to career uncertainties. Work world shifts challenge career counselors to adopt a counseling intervention that views unplanned events as both inevitable and desirable. Counselors need to teach clients to engage in exploratory activities to increase the probability that the clients will discover unexpected career opportunities. Unplanned events can become opportunities for learning.     

Logic and Sin: Wittgenstein's Philosophical Education at the Limits of Language

Unfortunately, Wittgenstein has entered the philosophical canon, an entrance that has served to reify interpretations of his work. In this essay I refer to recent books by Richard Eldridge (1997) and Phillip Shields (1998) which allow us again to see The Philosophical Investigations as something more than a stultifying relic. Specifically, these authors, by reading Wittgenstein's work not merely as text but also as performance, allow us to enact our own liberating performances of that work. To engage in such enactments of freedom is the essence of philosophical education in the sense established by extra-canonical writers such as Socrates and the Stoics, on the one hand, and Emerson and James, on the other. At least this is so if my use of the work of classicist Pierre Hadot, on the one hand, and brief reference to literary critic Richard Poirier, on the other, is at all successful in illuminating theses from Eldridge and Shields on the nature of Wittgensteinian philosophy.     

Variations in internet-related problems and psychosocial functioning in online sexual activities: implications for social and sexual development of young adults.

This survey of 760 university students examined differences in Internet-related problems and psychosocial functioning between four patterns of participation in online sexual information and entertainment activities. Students who did not participate in either online sexual activity were more satisfied with their offline life and more connected to friends and family. Those who engaged in both online sexual activities were more dependent on the Internet and reported lower offline functioning. Students who only sought sexual information maintained strong offline affiliations. Those who only sought entertainment did not report lower offline functioning. Respondents most deficient in offline social support did not report compensatory online support. Despite students' common participation in online sexual activities (OSA) as a venue for social and sexual development, those relying on the Internet and the affiliations it provides appear at risk of decreased social integration. The authors discussed the finding's implications for social and sexual development.     

The Effect of Holy Qur’an Recitation on Depressive Symptoms in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Patients with advanced renal failure often face considerable sociopsychological stress as a result of lifestyle changes due to the disease and its treatment. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of the Holy Qur’an recitation on depressive symptoms in hemodialysis patients. In this clinical trial, 54 hemodialysis patients were randomized to either an experimental (n = 27) or a control (n = 27) group. Patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at baseline and at 1 month after the intervention. Participants in the experimental group listened to recitation of the Holy Qur’an, while those in the control group received no intervention. The mean BDI-II score at baseline was 33.6 (±6.7) for the experimental group and 29.3 (±9.0) for the control group; at the end of treatment, BDI-II scores in the experimental and control groups were 14.5 (±4.8) and 31.6 (±9.2), respectively. Results from the repeated-measures general linear model controlling for baseline differences indicated a significant treatment effect (F = 9.30, p = 0.004, Cohen’s d = 0.85). Holy Qur’an recitation has a significant effect on lowering depressive symptoms in hemodialysis patients. Holy Qur’an recitation is an easy-to-implement and cost-effective strategy that may be used to supplement the treatment of depression in this setting in Iran.

     

Western Cultural Psychology of Religion: Alternatives to Ideology

This essay is an extended reflection on Belzen’s (2010) groundbreaking book Towards Cultural Psychology of Religion: Principles, Approaches, Applications. We will critically examine the terms culture, psychology, and religion separately and in relation to each other. The question we address is whether unconsciously Western understandings underlie these concepts and then are exported into non-Western cultures. The concept of ‘culture’ may reflect a Western bias and may be injurious when exported if culture means de facto becoming self-consciously modern, remains an abstract idea, reinforces “othering,” and serves to colonize the other. It is proposed that we listen to voices of non-Western scholars as they reflect on what ‘culture’ means to them rather than assuming that the meaning of the word ‘culture’ is universally the same. Second, we examine briefly the ways in which our understanding of religion reflects our Western biases in terms of the presumption of secularization, the meaning of religiousness, the Christian influence on defining religion, the use of religion in Western colonization, and the degree to which religion is defined abstractly. Third, we are concerned that the psychology utilized in the emerging discipline of psychology of religion is Western in that it reflects a capitalist, industrialized, individualistic, and pluralistic culture that may be less present in other cultures and perhaps even eschewed. Further, we think that in various cultures of the world, psychological knowledge emerges less from scientific observation but from the local religious/cultural traditions themselves. Finally, we examine how cultural psychology intersects with religion. We propose a model in which the specific religious cultures nurture the attitudes, emotions, behaviors, and relationships that reflect their critical values.     

Perception of phosphenes and flashed alphabetical characters is enhanced by single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation of anterior frontal lobe: the thalamic gate hypothesis

Single pulses of transcranial magnetic stimulation (sTMS) restricted locally to the primary cortical areas for somatosensory and visual input, unlike the effects of repetitive stimulation, usually fail to elicit projected sensations. We tested the effect of sTMS over anterior frontal cortex in facilitating phosphenes from preceding sTMS over calcarine cortex, which alone was rarely effective in eliciting phosphenes. The combined sTMS elicited complex phosphenes, which changed with the site of frontal sTMS and the interstimulus interval. Our results show that sTMS over anterior frontal cortex also improved reporting of weakly illuminated, flashed four-letter stimuli, which permitted its statistical validation. We propose that the present demonstration of frontal cortical facilitation of visual awareness, when combined with the previous finding of projected paresthesias and sense of movement (Amassian et al, 1991 Brain 114 2505-2520), provide evidence of a general frontal opening effect on a thalamic gate. Opening this gate facilitates entry of information from primary cortical receiving areas to thalamus. Thereby, the reciprocal thalamocortical interrelations that subserve conscious awareness of sensory stimuli could be fostered.     

A qualitative analysis of young people's experiences of receiving a novel,client‐led,psychological therapy in school

Mental health problems often arise in adolescence. Schools have been recognised as a potential hub for support; however, delivering targeted interventions in schools can be difficult due to impracticalities. Subsequently, students have little or no say in the support process. Given the importance of control in well‐being, the current study explored how adolescents experienced Method of Levels, a therapy that allowed them to choose if and when to attend therapy. Interviews with 14 adolescents were conducted and then analysed using thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified; therapy style, therapy experience and exploring problems. An additional overarching theme was generated, regarding choice and control. Findings indicate that adolescents value having choice and control. This made the therapy style accessible, enhanced the therapeutic experience and ultimately facilitated the process of exploring problems.     

Peer discussion affects children's memory reports

This study explored the memory conformity effect in children. Younger (6–7 years; n = 60) and older (11–12 years; n = 62) children watched a video individually (individual witness condition) or in dyads (co‐witness condition). The dyads believed that they were viewing the same video as the other member of the pair while in fact the saw different versions. Next, children in the individual witness condition answered questions, whereas children in the co‐witness condition discussed the event on the video with each other. Finally, all children completed an individual free and cued recall task. In the co‐witness condition, more than 60% of the children recalled at least one detail from the alternative video, whereas over 23% of the children in the individual witness condition reported such a detail. Moreover, in free recall—but not in cued recall—the memory conformity effect was stronger for older than for younger children. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

唐山市三甲医院住院费用的灰色关联分析

利用灰色关联分析方法探索引起“看病贵”的主要因素,并提出有效的策略和措施。以唐山市2所三甲医院2004年出院的800名住院患者的医疗费用为研究对象,利用灰色关联分析法进行分析。提出灰色关联模型更加科学和合理;药费是造成外科疾病医疗费用过高的关键因素;需进一步改革医疗服务价格体系。