A method for studying the analysis of aspects of the patient's experience of the relationship in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy

We have described a coding scheme for obtaining an objective account of the analysis of resisted aspects of the patient's experience of the relationship with the therapist in single, audio-recorded sessions of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. The focus is on what is often regarded as an important first step in the analysis of transference: the identification and exploration of the preconscious points of attachment of transference ideas in the here-and-now. Related to the scheme is the view that there is generally a plausible basis in the here-and-now for the patient's ideas about the therapist. The implications of that view for the concept of transference are discussed. Future directions for research are noted, including improving the reliability of the scheme and testing various hypotheses regarding how the particular step in technique assessed by the method affects other aspects of the process and outcome.     

The prediction of group motor performance from individual member abilities

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the prediction of group performance on the motor-maze task from individual member abilities. In both experiments subjects performed 20 individual trials on the maze task in an initial session prior to the actual experiment. On the basis of these individual performance scores, two-person groups were formed so that the groups represented a range of average ability levels and a range of discrepancies in abilities between partners. In Experiment 1, all groups performed a cooperative and a noncooperative group task in separate sessions both involving competition with another group. Only the cooperative group task was used in Experiment 2, but all groups performed under both competitive and noncompetitive conditions. Multiple regression analyses yielded a moderate, positive relationship between member abilities and group performance in both experiments; group performance on the highly cooperative task was dominated by the lower-ability partner.     

Comparing music- and food-evoked autobiographical memories in young and older adults: A diary study

Previous research has found that music brings back more vivid and emotional autobiographical memories than various other retrieval cues. However, such studies have often been low in ecological validity and constrained by relatively limited cue selection and predominantly young adult samples. Here, we compared music to food as cues for autobiographical memories in everyday life in young and older adults. In two separate four-day periods, 39 younger (ages 18–34) and 39 older (ages 60–77) adults recorded their music- and food-evoked autobiographical memories in paper diaries. Across both age groups, music triggered more frequent autobiographical memories, a greater proportion of involuntary memories, and memories rated as more personally important in comparison to food cues. Age differences impacted music- and food-evoked memories similarly, with older adults consistently recalling older and less specific memories, which they rated as more positive, vivid, and rehearsed. However, young and older adults did not differ in the number or involuntary nature of their recorded memories. This work represents an important step in understanding the phenomenology of naturally occurring music-evoked autobiographical memories across adulthood and provides new insights into how and why music may be a more effective trigger for personally valued memories than certain other everyday cues.     

A Response to Steve Bruce's "Praying Alone?"

This article argues that neither Steve Bruce's theory of secularisation nor Grace Davie's theory of voluntary organisations are needed to explain British attitudes to religious belief and practice.     

‘I didn’t realise I was such a sausage’: men’s accounts of whole-body scanning,body image,and expected changes in health-related behaviours

Objective: Whole-body scanning is now available in stores to assist buyers in choosing well-fitting clothes. This study was designed to investigate men’s accounts of scanning, body image and expectations of behaviour change. Design: Ten men aged 18–39 years without histories of eating disorders or previous experience of whole-body scanning, took part in semi-structured interviews before and after scanning. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Pre-scan, men’s body ideals were tall, slender and relatively muscular. Post-scan, seven reported looking shorter, fatter, thinner and/or less symmetrical than they hoped; three were pleasantly surprised by the images. Men were interested in scans as an objective view of their bodies and as a ‘wake-up call’ to motivate healthy behaviours. Five men intended to change their behaviour as a result of scanning, and repeat scanning was seen as a good way to monitor behavioural changes. Participants suggested that scanning may raise body concerns in other men, though downplayed impacts on their own body image. Conclusion: Whole-body scanning may encourage men to exercise and eat more healthily. However, men became more negative about their bodies as a result of seeing their body scans, so scanning needs to be carried out with supervision and support.     

What is a Leather Iron or a Bird Phone? Using Conceptual Combinations to Generate and Understand New Product Concepts

This article introduces the framework of conceptual combinations, which underlies the creative ability to combine existing concepts to create new ones. Using this framework, two creative processes are identified, namely, (a) property mapping (PM), which entails combining concepts by transferring a property from one concept to another (e.g., shape in the case of notebook computers); and (b) relation linking (RL), which entails linking the two combining concepts by a thematic relation (e.g., the “locative” relation in desktop computers). The effect of these processes on the comprehension of new product concepts is investigated in two experimental studies. In Study 1 it is shown that novel products created by RL are easier to interpret than the ones created by PM. In Study 2 it is found that new products combining concepts from different super‐ordinate categories are more likely interpreted by RL, and are easier to comprehend than the ones from the same super‐ordinate category, which use PM. The theoretical and managerial implications of using conceptual combinations in the context of new product ideation are discussed.     

The next exclusion debate: assessing technology, ethics, and intellectual disability after the Human Genome Project

Recent scientific discoveries have made it much easier to test prenatally for various genetic disabilities, such as Down syndrome. However, while many observers have heralded such "advances" for their effectiveness in detecting certain conditions, others have argued that they perpetuate discrimination by preventing the birth of children with disabilities. This article examines the ethical and social implications of the Human Genome Project for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. It details the critique of prenatal testing articulated by many disability rights activists as well as scholarly and professional responses to that critique. A review of the pertinent research literature includes perspectives of genetic professionals, ethicists, disability studies scholars, parents of children with disabilities, and disabled individuals themselves. Finally, the article explores how future research endeavors, policies, and practices may more effectively integrate and respect the positions of these various stakeholders.