Social science research in the 1990s: The contribution of constructivism

Social science research in this decade has not made the progress we expected of it. Our findings still diverge, generalization from these findings remains restricted, and the many questions vital to achieving a better society continue to be unanswered. In the next decade, social science research may be able to benefit from constructivism. In this article I explore some of the constructivist assumptions about people. These include their subjectivity and purpose, the central role of meaning for them, and how that meaning can be both unique and shared. I also examine some constructivist assumptions about social science. These assumptions enable us as social scientists to understand better the constructivist nature of ourselves as researchers, our research participants, and our research interactions. These assumptions also have implications for the types of data collection methods we choose to use, as well as for data analysis. An example of each is provided. The application of these assumptions seems likely to result in social science research which continues to be diverse and permits only restricted generalization, but is more relevant to the needs of our society.     

An Intersectional Analysis of Television Narratives of African American Women with African American Men on “the Down Low”

The controversial phenomenon of “the down low” has created fear and suspicion of male sexual partners among many African American women. Being on the down low refers to men that lead seemingly heterosexual lives, yet secretly have sex with other men. Popular media have portrayed this topic more widely in more recent years and generally focus on African Americans. Two popular television shows, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Girlfriends, have dedicated episodes centering heterosexual African American women partnered with African American men on the down low. The popular television film, Cover, features an African American woman who learns her husband secretly has affairs with other men. Black feminist thought provides an intersectional frame for analyzing the content of these portrayals of Black women in relationships with men on the down low. The analysis demonstrates that the down low associates more affluent African Americans with socially deviant behavior and issues, such as hyper-sexuality and HIV/AIDS. Further, they show newer interpretations of African American women “in love and in trouble” and that African American men often have to disguise and remain silent about their sexuality to garner acceptance into their communities.     

Prevalence-based decisions undermine visual search

In visual search, observers make decisions about the presence or absence of a target based on their perception of a target during search. The present study investigated whether decisions can be based on observers’ expectation rather than perception of a target. In Experiment 1, participants were allowed to make target-present responses by clicking on the target or, if the target was not perceived, a target-present button. Participants used the target-present button option more frequently in difficult search trials and when target prevalence was high. Experiment 2 and 3 employed a difficult search task that encouraged the use of prevalence-based decisions. Target presence was reported faster when target prevalence was high, indicating that decisions were, in part, cognitive, and not strictly perceptual. A similar pattern of responses were made even when no targets appeared in the search (Experiment 3). The implication of these prevalence-based decisions for visual search models is discussed.     

Spiritually based parenting workshop: An outcome study

The present study observed the effects of one spiritually based parenting workshop: Parent and Family Healing. A repeated-measures design using before, after, and 3-week follow-up revealed that in the sample of 65 parents, Parent and Family Healing significantly lowered parents’ stress and negative affect, and increased their parental efficacy and parental satisfaction. These effects were all maintained at the 3-week follow-up. The workshop also significantly increased parents’ positive affect, but this change was not maintained 3 weeks following the workshop. Spirituality level did not change significantly over the course of the workshop or at follow-up, despite the workshop being spiritually based. Participants rated all the spiritual components of the workshop as between somewhat and very helpful. Finally, parents’ free-response answers revealed very positive opinions about the workshop, its effects, and the spiritual approach taken.     

Adult Age Differences in Attention to Semantic Context

ABSTRACT

In three experiments age differences in attention to semantic context were examined. The performance of younger adults (ages 18–29 years) and older adults (ages 60–79 years) on a semantic priming task indicated that both age groups could use information regarding the probability that a prime and target would be related to flexibly anticipate the target category given the prime word (Experiment 1). The timing by which target expectancies were reflected in reaction time performance was delayed for older adults as compared to younger adults, but only when the target was expected to be semantically unrelated to the prime word (Experiment 2). When the target and prime were expected to be semantically related, the time course of priming effects was similar for younger and older adults (Experiment 3). Together the findings indicate that older adults are able to use semantic context and the probability of stimulus relatedness to anticipate target information. Although aging may be associated with a delay in the timing by which controlled expectancies are expressed, these findings argue against an age-related decline in the ability to represent contextual information.     

Rewards,Intrinsic Motivation,and Creativity: A Case Study of Conceptual and Methodological Isolation

Three decades of research have failed to produce general agreement concerning the effects of reward on creativity. We believe that the problem stems not from any great complexity of research findings, but primarily from the clash between romantic and behaviorist worldviews concerning basic human nature. Isolation of these research camps has produced narrow perspectives and failures to correct persisting methodological flaws. Research correcting these flaws suggests that rewards for novel performance increase intrinsic motivation and creativity, whereas rewards for conventional performance decrease intrinsic motivation and creativity. Creative motivational orientation, enhanced by rewards, strongly affects innovative performance.     

Cocreated Idealization in the Winnicott/Khan Analysis: Commentary on Paper by Joyce Slochower

Joyce Slochower's paper applies relational thinking in a new conceptualization of idealization and denigration, which she sees as cocreated. Building on a thorough review of the analytic literature on the clinical experience of idealization, she suggests that idealization, helpful at first, often leads to therapeutic failure. She utilizes historical material about Donald Winnicott and his analyses of Masud Khan and Harry Guntrip to open a space for discussion of a previously unexplored topic, the idealization of the patient by the analyst. Slochower suggests that Winnicott's personal vulnerability to experiences of idealization contributed to failure in his analysis of Khan and to less severe problems in the Guntrip analysis. I focus on the Khan analysis and suggest that the problem was not the idealization, which may have been inevitable, but Winnicott's apparent failure to understand and make use of it. I also suggest that, with the very same understanding, the analytic community in general would benefit from thinking about the community's idealization of Winnicott.     

Stress and Well-Being Among Parents of Children with Potocki-Lupski Syndrome

Potocki-Lupski syndrome (PTLS) or duplication 17p11.2 syndrome is a newly characterized condition causing a variety of health problems with variable severity, including failure to thrive in infancy and childhood, hypotonia, structural heart anomalies, cognitive impairments, speech and learning difficulties, and autism. Due to its recent clinical characterization little is known about the psychosocial impact of this condition on patients and their families. This study evaluated whether parental psychosocial outcomes were associated with children’s PTLS disease severity. Parents of 58 children with PTLS completed a cross-sectional survey that assessed parental stress, quality of life, and coping skills. Parental functioning was associated with greater severity of feeding difficulty and with lower severity of a cardiovascular defect. Findings from this study highlight potential support needs of parents of children affected by PTLS and suggest ways in which these needs may be addressed.     

“I have undergone some metamorphosis!” The Impact of REds on South African Educators Affected by the Hiv/Aids Pandemic. A Pilot Study

The study investigated the efficacy of Resilient Educators (REds), a group intervention program, designed to empower educators affected by the HIV/Aids pandemic and in research in progress. Fifteen participants (three male; twelve female) from various primary schools in two different South African communities were involved. Participant ages ranged from early thirties to mid-fifties. A pre-test, post-test design was conducted. Visual data were collected in the form of symbolic drawings: participants drew symbols of their perception of the pandemic and explained the meaning of their chosen symbols either in writing or verbally. A qualitative comparison of these visual data suggested transformed perception and concomitant teacher empowerment. Prior to participation in REds, participants projected vulnerability. Following their participation, participant projections suggested self-empowerment and community mindedness. Participants perceived themselves capable of coping with the challenges of the pandemic.     

Use of the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System in an Assessment of an Adolescent in Foster Care

Child maltreatment has been associated with a host of negative outcomes including impaired social relationships (Rogosch, Cicchetti, &; Aber, 1995), depression (Toth, Manly, &; Cicchetti, 1992), poor self-concept and motivation (Vondra, Barnett, &; Cicchetti, 1990), and delinquency and conduct problems (Cook et al., 2005; Grotevant et al., 2006; McCabe, Lucchini, Hough, Yeh, &; Hazen, 2005; Ryan &; Testa, 2005). An assessment of the mental representation of attachment relationships could offer additional relevant and useful information to the evaluation of youth in foster care, and could inform treatment and placement considerations. The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP) is a relatively new measure of internal representations of attachment based on the analysis of a set of stimuli designed to systematically activate the attachment system (George, West, &; Pettem, 1997 George, C. and West, M. in press. The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System, New York, NY: Guilford.  [Google Scholar]). This article considers the use of the AAP with a maltreated adolescent in a clinical setting and uses a case study to illustrate the components of the AAP that are particularly relevant to case conceptualization and interventions.