Ecological validity and cultural sensitivity for outcome research: Issues for the cultural adaptation and development of psychosocial treatments with Hispanics

This article has two objectives. The first is to provide a culturally sensitive perspective to treatment outcome research as a resource to augment the ecological validity of treatment research. The relationships between external validity, ecological validity, and culturally sensitive research are reviewed. The second objective is to present a preliminary framework for culturally sensitive interventions that strengthen ecological validity for treatment outcome research. The framework, consisting of eight dimensions of treatment interventions (language, persons, metaphors, content, concepts, goals, methods, and context) can serve as a guide for developing culturally sensitive treatments and adapting existing psychosocial treatments to specific ethnic minority groups. Examples of culturally sensitive elements for each dimension of the intervention are offered. Although the focus of the article is on Hispanic populations, the framework may be valuable to other ethnic and minority groups.     

Choice for signalled over unsignalled shock as a function of shock intensity

Choice between a signalled shock schedule and an unsignalled one was examined at various shock intensities. Three rats were given the opportunity to change from the unsignalled schedule to the signalled one at intensity values between 0.15 mA and 1.0 mA. Steps were usually 0.15 mA and both ascending and descending series were given. For two other rats, shock intensity increased from 0.20 mA to 1.0 mA in 0.20-mA increments; for two additional rats, shock intensity was first 3.0 mA and was then reduced to 1.0 mA. Subjects tended to remain in the unsignalled schedule at the lower shock intensities, but spent most of each session under the signalled schedule at the higher intensities (1.0 mA and 3.0 mA). In addition, the time spent in the signalled schedule tended to vary systematically with shock intensity over at least part of the range of intensity values. It was concluded that the relationship between shock intensity and choice behavior is similar to the relationship between intensity and behavior in procedures involving avoidance, escape, and punishment.     

The relative aversiveness of signalled vs unsignalled escapable and inescapable shock

In the first study, subjects escaped shock by pressing on a lever under an unsignalled condition. By pressing a different lever they changed the condition to signalled escape for three minute periods. The second study used the changeover procedure to study inescapable-unavoidable shock. Seven rats were used in each study. All subjects in both studies changed over from unsignalled to signalled conditions. Once contact with the signal condition was made, subjects responded to remain in that condition. The three different extinction conditions showed that the correlated stimulus without the signal had greater control over responding than the signal without the correlated stimulus. An analysis based upon shock and shock-free periods was presented.     

“Everything Is Interrelated”

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that “everything is interrelated,” especially in relation to health, ecology, economy, and climate change, as various authors have stated. The motto is the leitmotif of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ and leads to his proposal of an integral ecology. This article deepens the implications of the latter in the encyclical and in other works and shows how the Catholic Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region is an example of the reception and application of integral ecology in a given context. Based on this, the article proposes some conclusions, taking into account the theme of the next assembly of the World Council of Churches in 2022.     

Economic and social distance: Perceived income inequality negatively predicts an interdependent self‐construal

Previous research has shown that economic inequality influences how people are related with others. In this article, we suggest that perceived economic inequality influences self‐construal. Specifically, we propose that higher economic inequality leads to an independent self‐construal, whereas lower economic inequality leads to an interdependent self‐construal. Correlational data from Studies 1a and 1b revealed that people who perceive lower levels of economic inequality tend to show higher levels of interdependent self‐construal, even after controlling for social class. In Study 2, using an experimental design, we found that perceived high economic inequality leads to a more independent and less interdependent self‐construal compared to the low economic inequality condition. These results expand the literature bridging the gap between a macro‐social factor, such as economic inequality, and a micro‐social factor, such as self‐construal.     

Familias Unidas’ Crossover Effects on Suicidal Behaviors among Hispanic Adolescents: Results from an Effectiveness Trial

The long‐term impact of Familias Unidas on suicidal behaviors among Hispanic 8th graders (N = 746) was examined along with parent–adolescent communication as a moderator of intervention effectiveness. At baseline, 9.2% (95% CI = 7.3%–11.6%) of adolescents reported suicide ideation and 5.7% (95% CI = 4.1%–7.7%) reported a past year suicide attempt. There were no significant intervention effects on suicidal behaviors; however, parent–adolescent communication was a moderator of suicide attempts in the past year, across the intervention (b = ?.01, p = .01). Results suggest that Familias Unidas reduces suicidal behaviors among Hispanic adolescents with low levels of parent–adolescent communication despite no suicide‐specific intervention content. Implications of these findings are discussed.