The effect of Method Variance on Relationships Between the Work Ethic and Individual Difference Variables

A great deal of research relating the work ethic to other individual difference variables has been conducted using questionnaires to measure all the variables. Many researchers believe that using a single method of measurement for multiple constructs results in artificially inflated correlations. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the work ethic, locus of control, and conscientiousness reveals that approximately 16% of the variance in measures of these constructs is a function of the method of measurement. This suggests that correlations in work ethic research based on only one method of measurement may be overstated.     

Pain: Biopsychosocial Mechanisms and Management

Traditionally, pain has been viewed as a sensory event warning of tissue damage or illness. This explanation fails to account for many of the experiences of people suffering from clinically painful conditions. Over the past two decades, a new biopsychosocial perspective on pain has emerged. This perspective emphasizes that pain is a dynamic process that not only is influenced by biological, psychological, and social mechanisms of pain, but also produces biological, psychological, and social changes that can affect future responses to pain. This review presents findings from recent studies of the biological, psychological, and social mechanisms of pain and discusses the implications of these findings for pain research, assessment, prevention, and treatment, as well as for health care policy.     

Reducing HIV risk-associated sexual behavior among african american adolescents: Testing the generality of intervention effects

This randomized controlled trial tested the effects of a theory-based culture-sensitive HIV risk-reduction intervention among 496 inner-city African American adolescents (mean age = 13 years) and examined the generality of its effects as a function of the facilitator's race and gender and the gender composition of the intervention group. Adolescents who received the HIV risk-reduction intervention expressed more favorable behavioral beliefs about condoms, greater self-efficacy, and stronger condom-use intentions postintervention than did those who received a control intervention on other health issues. Six-month follow-up data collected on 93% of the adolescents revealed that those who received the HIV risk-reduction intervention reported less HIV risk-associated sexual behavior, including unprotected coitus, than did their counterparts in the control condition. Self-reported sexual behavior and changes in self-reported behavior were unrelated to scores on a standard measure of social desirability response bias. There was strong evidence for the generality of intervention effects. Moderator analyses testing eight specific interaction hypotheses and correlational analyses indicated that the effects of the HIV risk-reduction intervention did not vary as a function of the facilitator's race or gender, participant's gender, or the gender composition of the intervention group. This research was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01-HD24921), the National Institute of Mental Health (R01-MH45668), and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions to this research of Margaret Bleier, Daria Boccher-Lattimore, Nancy L. Moore, Tatiana Perrino, Paul Pintella, and Fran Rosenfeld and the helpful suggestions of Isabel Fernandez, Caryn Lerman, and Ann O'Leary regarding an earlier version of this article.     

An Investigation of the Discourses Children Draw on Their Constructions of Gender

The mechanisms behind children's constructions of gender are examined in an attempt to identify the various narratives that children draw on. The ways in which these narratives are used in children's talk about gender are analyzed in order to provide a greater understanding of discursive resources available to children. The different types of discourse evident in children's discussion of gender are listed. The discursive contradictions in children's speech and discursive resistance to the construction of gender dichotomy are examined. It is concluded that the children in the sample drew on a wide variety of gender discourses, suggesting that they have a more developed understanding of gender issues than has been recognized previously. Finally, the paper considers the possible methods for deconstruction of dominant gender discourses.     

Personality Type and Attitude toward Christianity among Student Churchgoers

A sample of 82 student churchgoers completed the Keirsey Temperament Sorter together with the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity. The data demonstrate that feeling types hold a more positive attitude toward Christianity than thinking types.     

Java experiments for introductory cognitive psychology courses

Interactive on-line experiments provide a unique and useful method for communicating material to students that is otherwise cumbersome and often confusing. The Java programming language is particularly suited for Internet-based programming applications of this sort because it bypasses many technical issues, including resource availability, security, and cross-platform compatibility. In most cases, topics appropriate to this medium of presentation should (1) not be easily demonstrated by other means, (2) represent an important finding in the field, and (3) be robust with respect to variations in both participants and equipment. The present paper outlines the integration of interactive experiments into an introductory cognitive psychology classroom, describing several experiments currently available on the World-Wide Web (WWW). Evaluation of the technical aspects of the technology as well as expansion of the format to other courses is discussed.     

Is Lorazepam a treatment for neuroleptic malignant syndrome?

The authors assessed the ability of lorazepam and other benzodiazepines to affect the course of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). Records of inpatients who met both stringent research criteria and criteria under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, (DSM-IV) (n=11) or DSM-IV criteria alone (n=5) for NMS were identified. All received lorazepam or related benzodiazepines within 24 hours of NMS onset or hospital admission. The records were reviewed for resolution of clinical signs of NMS. Rigidity and fever abated within 24-48 hours, while secondary features of NMS were relieved within 64 hours. These results compared favorably with prior reports of 5-day to 10-day recovery periods. Benzodiazepine administration appeared to be well tolerated. Lorazepam and related benzodiazepines may reduce recovery time in NMS.     

Global Progress II: Evolutionary Mechanisms and their Side-effects

This paper attempts to update the 18th century concept of progress by an evolutionary theoretical framework, while replying to some of the contemporary critiques. Progress, understood as increase in fitness (or its proxy, quality of life) necessarily accompanies evolution by natural selection. In socio-cultural evolution, this mechanism is reinforced by growth of knowledge and virtuous cycles, but can be accompanied by negative side-effects such as overshooting and parasitism. The most pressing of the contemporary side-effects, such as pollution and the increased pace of life, are discussed, but it is concluded that they can be tackled without really endangering global progress. The anxiety that they engender is unfortunately amplified by a bad news bias in the media, leading to an inappropriately pessimistic view of the situation by the public.