The Rabkin Test as a Means of Detecting and Analyzing Defective Color Vision

This study investigated the attentional and mental-set conditions which determine the acquisition and use of memory schema cues. Ninety male and female undergraduate Ss listened to and shadowed the Bransford-Johnson “washing clothes” paragraph under a variety of conditions defined by cue placement (before or during shadowing), attentional mental set (told of relation of cue to passage, or not told), and modality of cue (given visually or auditorily). It was found that cue placement and cue modality had no effect on subsequent recall of the passage, but that attentional mental set did. It was argued that the data supported a model of the mind that emphasized conscious intention in both attention and schema activation, a position associated with Wilhelm Wundt.     

Identity, Reasoning, and Emotion: An Empirical Comparison of Three Sources of Moral Motivation

Prior research on moral motivation has primarily emphasized moral reasoning and moral emotion; however, identity may also play an important role. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relative importance of prosocial identity, prosocial moral reasoning, and empathy in predicting prosocial behavior. The sample included 91 university students, ages 19–35 years (M=21.89; SD=3.01; 80% European American; 65% female). Prosocial identity and empathy, but not prosocial moral reasoning, were positively associated with overall prosocial behavior. Exploratory analyses examined how these three sources of prosocial motivation differentially related to six forms of prosocial behavior. Results suggest the importance of considering the roles of all three sources of moral motivation.     

The effects of autonomy-supportive versus controlling environments on self-talk

Based within a self-determination theory framework (SDT: Deci and Ryan, Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behaviour. Plenum Publishing Co., New York, 1985), the present study examined the effects of manipulating social-contextual conditions on the content of individuals’ self-talk. Seventy student volunteers were randomly assigned to a controlling or autonomy-supportive experimental condition. Participants were instructed to ‘think-aloud’ throughout a 10-min computerized task during which self-verbalizations were recorded. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim, and then analysed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count Program (LIWC; Pennebaker et al., LIWC2001; Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (software and manual). Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, 2001). Inductive content analyses were also conducted. Triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative findings revealed that in the autonomy-supportive condition, individuals’ self-talk was more informational and less controlling, with participants using more positive emotional words and assents, and fewer negative emotional words, swear words, and first person references than in the controlling condition. The findings suggest that social-context can affect cognitive factors such as self-talk and further support the promotion of autonomy-supportive environments.     

Real Evidence for the Failure of the Jamesian Perspective or More Evidence in Support of It?

Hardy and Moriarty (2006) presented evidence in support of James's (1890) individual importance hypothesis using a new methodology. Marsh (in press) criticized the Hardy and Moriarty approach, claiming that it did not constitute a valid test of the hypothesis and that in his article he had produced more evidence against it. In this article, we refute both these claims and argue instead that Marsh's individually weighted-averages method does not constitute a valid test of the hypothesis. We also assert that his new analyses actually offer further evidence in support of the Jamesian perspective. Finally, we direct attention toward questionable assumptions that appear to underpin Marsh's approach, and we try to point a way forward for future research in this area.     

Suicidality Among Chronically Homeless People with Alcohol Problems Attenuates Following Exposure to Housing First

This study is the first to document suicidality among chronically homeless people with alcohol problems (N = 134) and examine its trajectory following exposure to immediate, permanent, low‐barrier housing (i.e., Housing First). Suicidal ideation, intent, plans, and prior attempts were assessed at baseline and during a 2‐year follow‐up. Baseline suicidal ideation was over four times higher than in the general population. Two‐year, within‐subjects, longitudinal analyses indicated severity of suicidal ideation decreased by 43% from baseline to follow‐up. Significant decreases were also found for intent and clinical significance of ideation. No participants died by suicide during the 2‐year follow‐up.     

Family Therapy with English Caribbean Immigrant Families in the United States: Issues of Emigration, Immigration, Culture, and Race

Many English Caribbean families in the United States are referred for therapy because of difficulties related to their adaptation to a new country/culture. This paper focuses on the intra-familial, and the family-larger system transitional/adjustment difficulties experienced by these families and presents issues specific to therapy with them. Effective therapy with English Caribbean families and their subsystems requires that therapists communicate to these families an understanding of their concerns, be knowledgeable about heterogeneity in cultural values and traditions, and create a therapeutic atmosphere in which families can feel valued and respected. Recommendations for therapists are presented and discussed.     

Specific modes of anxiety and arousal

Although it may be oversimplistic to regard the cognitive and behavioral effects of anxiety as simply being due to associated increases in arousal, this is essentially what many theories of anxiety do. Indeed, some theorists go so far as to equate anxiety with arousal. This experiment questions the appropriateness of this assumption by showing that increases in arousal do not necessarily accompany increases in anxiety. First, a 14-item arousal questionnaire was validated using factor analytic and multivariate analysis of variance techniques. Two factors were identified: cognitive activation and somatic activation. The validated questionnaire was then administered to eight very experienced rock-climbers in six different environments, together with a cognitive-somatic anxiety questionnaire. Heartrate and oral temperature were also measured. The six environments were: morning and evening; during a prolonged “bouldering” session; and immediately prior to leading pitches at two grade, one grade and zero grades below their leading capacity. The experimental hypothesis that activation would be increasingly impaired in the latter two conditions while anxiety would continue to increase, was confirmed by a multivariate analysis of variance (p<0.001). The results are interpreted as supporting the sort of two-factor theory of arousal that has been proposed by Gray.     

Bridging the gap between long- and short-term group psychotherapy: A viable treatment model

The purpose of this paper is to support the efficacy of short-term insight-oriented, process group psychotherapy and to present a unique treatment model. The format for a time-limited, dynamic group therapy model with the opportunity to recontract for additional segments will be discussed. Evidence will be presented that supports the effective use of this model for providing continuity of care for patients with both long- and short-term treatment goals. The referral process,contracting for appropriate goals, group development, the cotherapy relationship, and other specific treatment issues will be addressed.     

A microcomputer-based cardiotachometer with video display

A KIM-1 single board microcomputer implementation of a cardiotachometer that provides a low-cost versatile heart-rate data acquisition system is described. Unique features include telemetry, a composite video output signal of a video frame displaying elapsed time and heart-rate, and a TV camera signal of the behavior. Data is videotape- and/or audiotape-recorded for further analysis with a larger computer.