Tri-ethnic alcohol use and religion,family, and gender

Nine different behavioral responses to alcohol by over two hundred ninth-graders in Austin, Texas, were examined in a survey designed to identify the relationship between adolescents' alcohol use, religious affiliation, religiosity, and gender. The relationship between alcohol use and family adaptability was also examined. While religious affiliation was found to be mildly predictive of use, religiosity determined only specific behavior. Gender differences in alcohol use appeared to be narrowing. Family adaptability was the most predictive variable, showing a relationship with six of the nine kinds of alcohol behavior. Future studies of family influences on adolescents' alcohol behavior and alcohol use among females are recommended.     

Illusory correlation as accentuation of actual intercategory difference: Evidence for the effect with minimal stimulus information

Distinctiveness-based illusory correlation effects (ICEs) have been implicated in the formation of negative stereotypes of minorities. In standard experiments subjects are presented with information about a large and small group in which the ratio of desirable to undesirable members is the same. These conditions normally lead to a negative representation of the smaller group. Explanations of this effect suggest it is a product of (a) over-representing highly distinctive stimuli, (b) sampling from memory, or (c) regression to the mean following information loss. The present research investigated the possibility that the ICE would occur even where no stimulus information linking behaviours to groups was presented—an outcome inconsistent with the first two explanations. Two experiments (Ns = 83, 112) produced ICEs in the absence of this standard stimulus information in a range of conditions. Results in these and previous studies are shown to be consistent with an explanation in terms of the principle of meta-contrast derived from self-categorization theory.     

New religious movements in Islamic West Africa

Christianity and Islam have interacted extensively with traditional African faiths to engender innovative religious developments known as 'New Religious Movements in Africa'. Although the majority of these movements have arisen out of the interaction with Christianity, a number of them have been inspired by Islam. The article, following an established paradigm for New Religious Movements, covers 'African-Related Movements' which are neo-primal, i.e. movements where the inner dynamic and basic structure derives from traditional faith to enable them to cope with new situations and the 'Synthetist movements' which reflect a real assimilation of Islamic elements, but are less ethnocentric and more universal in outlook. The former are referred to as 'Africanized neo-Islamic Movements' whereas the latter are called 'Orthodox New Islamic Movements'. Between these two are the 'traditional movements'. Reasons for the different effects of Islam and Christianity on African tradition and a comparison of Islamic and Christian movements are also presented.     

Is Androgynous Sex Role Related to Cigarette Smoking in Adolescents?1

The initiation of potentially health-threatening behaviors by adolescents, despite their realization of the dangers of such behavior, has been attributed to various social influences (e.g., peer pressure). It appears that some adolescents may be more likely to resist such influences than others. The present exploratory investigation tests the hypothesis that adolescents characterized as androgynous in “sex role” terms would be less vulnerable to social influences to engage in one such health-threatening behavior, smoking. Within a sample of seventh graders (n= 3,317), sex role identity was measured by relevant items from the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) as was frequency of cigarette smoking. Results indicate that “androgynous” subjects, as hypothesized, may smoke less than those characterized by other sex roles. Results are discussed in the context of our recommendations for more comprehensive testing of the relation between sex role and smoking.     

Tyranny and freedom: looking at ideas in the practice of family therapy

This article comments upon recent "second-order" family therapy concerns about the nature of the therapeutic relationship, and explores how ideas held by therapists may rule and restrict therapeutic conversations. Ideas are examined in the light of how adherence to them might open space (free) or close space (tyrannize) with respect to the therapeutic relationship. The authors propose a philosophical viewpoint, a methodology, and practical suggestions for therapists wishing to maintain a stance of relative freedom with respect to ideas in their work with clients.     

Changes in condom use among homosexual men in San Francisco

Employed data from two longitudinal surveys of gay men in San Francisco (a) to examine for cohort (Study 1) and attrition (Studies 1 and 2) bias effects on reported changes in condom use by gay men and (b) to investigate predictors of condom use (Study 2). Substantial increases in condom use were observed, and these changes were unrelated to attrition and cohort bias. In terms of predictors of condom use, men who always used condoms had higher levels of social support from informal sources of help, had more positive expectations that condoms would have positive interpersonal and personal consequences, and were more likely to be HIV positive than men who used condoms occasionally or never. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for HIV-prevention research.     

Body Without End: Biological Mutualism and the Body of Christ

This article argues that the ecological turn towards biological mutualism enlivens our understanding of the eschatological promise contained in Christ’s resurrected and ascended body. I examine the implications of proposing that Christ’s body was not only incarnate as microbiome, but also rose and ascended as microbiome. First, I analyse contemporary approaches to Christology’s relation to creation and Andrew Davison’s theological exploration of mutualism. I then respond via Irenaeus’ defence of Christ’s bodily resurrection and ascension as promise for all flesh. By reading Irenaeus in light of the mutualistic body, we enrich our understanding of this promise: of fruitfulness for all creation, of fullness for human nature, and that fleshly life is no ultimate barrier to union with God. Finally, I propose that this reading also offers renewed insight into the Eucharist: this promise and its implications are also made manifest at the heart of the church, Christ’s body on earth.     

Counterfactual thinking may attenuate polarization of COVID-19 prevention behavior

Data from two U.S. online samples (N = 613) indicated that conservatives consistently perceived face mask use as less important than did liberals. This difference was attenuated with high counterfactual engagement. Both studies provide correlational evidence of this robust moderation. Study 2 provides further insight into differences between liberals' and conservatives' emotional responses to COVID-19 information, and suggests that during on-going negative events, downward counterfactuals may not provide relief. Overall, these studies document the politicization of public health behavior, and find that emphasizing the causal links between behavior and COVID-19 prevention may improve conservatives' attitudes toward CDC guidelines.     

A 32-society investigation of the influence of perceived economic inequality on social class stereotyping

There is a growing body of work suggesting that social class stereotypes are amplified when people perceive higher levels of economic inequality—that is, the wealthy are perceived as more competent and assertive and the poor as more incompetent and unassertive. The present study tested this prediction in 32 societies and also examines the role of wealth-based categorization in explaining this relationship. We found that people who perceived higher economic inequality were indeed more likely to consider wealth as a meaningful basis for categorization. Unexpectedly, however, higher levels of perceived inequality were associated with perceiving the wealthy as less competent and assertive and the poor as more competent and assertive. Unpacking this further, exploratory analyses showed that the observed tendency to stereotype the wealthy negatively only emerged in societies with lower social mobility and democracy and higher corruption. This points to the importance of understanding how socio-structural features that co-occur with economic inequality may shape perceptions of the wealthy and the poor.