Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS) reference data for Israeli adolescents

This study presents Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 1974, 2003) data for a sample of 100 Israeli nonpatient adolescents divided into 2 age-based groups: 11-14 (n = 42) and 15-18 (n = 58). The data are compared to those derived from the international project of Meyer, Erdberg, and Shaffer (2007). The results suggest that contemporary Israeli adolescents demonstrate age-appropriate inclination to show excessive self-inspection (FD), to be overly individualistic, perceiving reality in a unique and unconventional manner (elevated Xu%; lowered X+% and P), and to be involved in scientific issues (elevated Sc). The age-based group of 11 to 14, however, also tends to show difficulties in affect modulation (C > 0). Nonetheless, Israeli nonpatient adolescents are quite unlikely and not more than nonpatient adults, to show elevation on the major CS constellations of psychopathological manifestations. Although these observations are mostly in agreement with data collected from their peers around the world, the Israeli youngsters seem to be more similar to adults than to youngsters from other countries as to various CS measures, including those pointing to openness and attentiveness to stimuli (i.e., Lambda, F%). The main conclusion is that with the exception of some age-appropriate deviations, the international reference data for adults can be used for evaluating psychopathology in adolescents.     

Cognitive discrimination in brain-damaged adults: color vs form preference

The relative preference of color, form, and other dimensions as the basis for discrimination between stimuli has been investigated in a variety of normal and language-impaired populations. In aphasic adults, previous studies have been contradictory, and no studies of non-aphasic, brain-damaged adults have been reported. In this study color vs form preference was examined in 20 left brain-damaged, aphasic adults, 20 right brain-damaged non-aphasic adults, and 20 control subjects. Significant differences were found among all groups, with preference of color over form greatest for left brain-damaged subjects, followed by right-damaged and control subjects.     

Exploring the time course of semantic interference and associative priming in the picture-word interference task

The picture-word interference (PWI) task is a widely used technique for exploring effects of semantic context on lexical access. In this task, printed words are superimposed over pictures to be named, with the timing of the interfering word relative to the picture systematically manipulated. Two experiments (N = 24 adults in each) explored the time course of effects of associates (e.g., CARROT superimposed on a picture of a rabbit) versus coordinates (e.g., CHIPMUNK superimposed on a picture of a rabbit) on naming latencies. Associates led to faster picture naming than did unrelated words, with facilitative effects occurring at stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs, in ms) ranging from -450 to 0. Coordinates led to slower naming latencies, with the interference effect restricted to SOAs of -150 and 0. The overlapping time course of associative priming and coordinate interference provides important constraints on models of lexical access in speech production.     

Post-Traumatic Stress and World Assumptions: The Effects of Religious Coping

Religiosity has been shown to moderate the negative effects of traumatic event experiences. The current study was deigned to examine the relationship between post-traumatic stress (PTS) following traumatic event exposure; world assumptions defined as basic cognitive schemas regarding the world; and self and religious coping conceptualized as drawing on religious beliefs and practices for understanding and dealing with life stressors. This study examined 777 Israeli undergraduate students who completed several questionnaires which sampled individual world assumptions and religious coping in addition to measuring PTS, as manifested by the PTSD check list. Results indicate that positive religious coping was significantly associated with more positive world assumptions, while negative religious coping was significantly associated with more negative world assumptions. Additionally, negative world assumptions were significantly associated with more avoidance symptoms, while reporting higher rates of traumatic event exposure was significantly associated with more hyper-arousal. These findings suggest that religious-related cognitive schemas directly affect world assumptions by creating protective shields that may prevent the negative effects of confronting an extreme negative experience.     

Tool-use in a display behaviour by Eurasian beavers (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Castor fiber</Emphasis>)

Tool use is rare amongst rodents and has never been recorded in connection with agonistic displays. We witnessed a behaviour, stick display (StD), involving tool use in free-living Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) that we conclude is a display behaviour. Two beavers were the main performers of the signal that was observed in at least six beavers from three families. Beavers reacted to displays by increased evasive and agonistic behaviours compared with their usual behavioural patterns when at territory borders. The behaviour was almost exclusively seen between rivals at territory borders. We suggest that the display is used in agonistic encounters, mainly in a territorial context. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Perceptions of conjugal relations among Israeli males: Pre-retirement versus early and late retirement phases

Attitudes of Israeli males toward conjugal life in preretirement versus the early and late phases of retirement were studied. Several differences appear between pre-retired and retired males, particularly in the late retirement phase. Compared with the pre-retired, late phase retirees expressed more conservative attitudes toward gender roles, increased emotional commitment toward the wife, greater expected dependence on the wife, a decline in health resources, and a greater power advantage in social aspects of conjugal life. Practical suggestions for family therapists dealing with couples in the later stages of married life include being aware of the differences between the stages of retirement and their effect on marital dynamics, giving particular attention to the effects of the increasingly conservative tendencies of the retired male and his anticipated power advantage in the social aspects of marriage on conjugal dynamics, and capitalizing on the increased emotional commitment of the male partner toward his wife in the later phase of retirement.Research interests include women at work and gender roles in the family.This article is a partial report of the findings presented in a doctoral dissertation written at Bar Ilan University under the supervision of Dr. H. Bareli and Dr. M. Katz.     

Will you touch a dirty diaper? Attitudes towards disgust and behaviour

Individuals differ in their willingness to engage with disgusting stimuli (e.g., dirty diapers). We propose that such differences are associated with attitudes towards disgust. Specifically, we predicted that people with less negative attitudes towards disgust (i.e., those who evaluate disgust less negatively) would be more willing to engage with disgusting stimuli. We asked participants to engage with disgusting stimuli in the laboratory and used two measures that assess behavioural and affective or cognitive components of attitudes towards disgust. As predicted, less negative attitudes towards disgust were associated with greater engagement with disgusting stimuli, above and beyond the current experience of disgust and the tendency to experience disgust. These findings stress the importance of attitudes towards emotions in understanding emotion-relevant behaviour.