Distinguishing between attributional and mnemonic sources of familiarity: The case of positive emotion bias

Does familiarity arise from direct access to memory representations (a mnemonic account) or from inferences and diagnostic cues (an attributional account)? These theoretically distinct explanations can be difficult to distinguish in practice, as is shown by thepositivity effect, the increase in feelings of familiarity that accompanies positive emotion. Experiment 1 manipulated mnemonic and attributional sources of positivity via word valence and physical expressions of emotion, respectively. Both sources influenced the tendency to call itemsold, but receiver-operating characteristic analysis revealed a change in accuracy only with the mnemonic source. To further contrast the mnemonic and attributional accounts, Experiment 2 varied the ratio of positive to neutral words. A higher proportion of positive words exaggerated the pattern of increasedold judgments and decreased accuracy for positive words, relative to neutral ones, consistent with the mnemonic account but inconsistent with the attributional account.     

Letters of Recommendation for the Predoctoral Internship in Medical Schools and Other Settings: Do They Enhance Decision Making in the Selection Process?

Since the 1970s, letters of recommendation to medical and other internship settings have surfaced as important variables in the internship selection process. However, several studies have challenged their value in the selection process, specifically by pointing out that these letters have an overly positive bias and fail to address applicant weaknesses. Our study, using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count text analysis method, developed a quantitative profile for a sample of letters of recommendation, determined whether letters differentiated among applicants with regard to positive/negative attributions, evaluated letters for positive and negative bias, and investigated potential gender bias of writers toward applicants. Results indicated that writers apply positive and negative attributions homogeneously across applicants, thus, rendering applicant differentiation on this basis impossible. Also, results demonstrated that letters of male and female writers were not biased toward male or female applicants. These findings, in combination with previous studies, question the utility of letters of recommendation as presently structured. Possible modifications are discussed.     

Family Environment as a Function of Religious Observance in American Jews

An empirical study was conducted to evaluate the hypothesis that perception of family environment among Jews differs as a function of degree of religious observance among Jews. One hundred and one Jewish young adults completed the Moos' Family Environment Scale and a scale measuring degree of religious observance. Compared to the families of more observant young adults, the families of less observant young adults were significantly more organized, more involved in recreational activities, and more concerned with achievement. Clinical implications of research results for family therapy and ideas for future research are discussed.     

Sacred Practices and Family Processes in a Jewish Context: Shabbat as the Weekly Family Ritual Par Excellence

The present article provides a deep and more focused look at the utility, meaning, processes, and power involved in a specific, family‐level, sacred practice or ritual from Judaism: Shabbat (Sabbath). Content analysis of in‐depth interviews with 30 diverse, marriage‐based Jewish families living in the United States (N = 77 individuals) yielded three emergent themes: (a) “Shabbat brings us closer together”; (b) How Shabbat brings the family together; and (c) The Power of Blessing the Children. These themes will be discussed respectively, along with related verbatim data from participants’ in‐depth qualitative interviews.     

Koinonia as Ecumenical Opening for Baptists

This article discusses a new opening for Baptists’ role in multilateral ecumenical dialogue since the release of Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry. A shift of emphasis toward koinonia has embraced relationship as a model for ecumenical endeavours while maintaining a robust sense of the goal of visible unity. The article will discuss several ecumenical insights and further potential for Baptist ecumenical work as a result of the centrality of koinonia.