Factor analysis and validation of a self-report measure of impaired fear inhibition

Difficulties with inhibiting fear have been associated with the emergence of anxiety problems and poor response to cognitive–behavioural treatment. Fear inhibition problems measured using experimental paradigms involving aversive stimuli may be inappropriate for vulnerable samples and may not capture fear inhibition problems evident in everyday life. We present the Fear Inhibition Questionnaire (FIQ), a self-report measure of fear inhibition abilities. We assess the FIQ’s factor structure across two cultures and how well it correlates with fear inhibition indices derived experimentally. Adolescent participants from Hong Kong and England completed the FIQ, with the English participants also completing a conditioning and extinction task to assess fear inhibition problems. Across both cultures, the FIQ showed a single factor structure and low FIQ scores, or worse fear inhibition problems, were associated with self-reports of heightened anxiety. Correlation of FIQ scores with experimental indices, whilst controlling for anxious symptoms, suggests that the FIQ represents a valid and unique measure of fear inhibition abilities. The FIQ might be used to assess more ecologically valid fear inhibition problems particularly amongst people who have or who are at risk of anxiety diagnoses.     

A six-month follow-up of adolescents' sexual risk-taking,HIV/AIDS knowledge,and attitudes to condoms

A follow-up study was conducted to investigate change in sexual behaviour, knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission, and attitudes to condoms over a 6-month period in a sample of late-adolescent students. The study also obtained subjective reports of HIV/AIDS-relevant change. Overall there was a decrease in sexual risk-taking behaviour with casual partners but no change occurred in sexual behaviour with regular partners, knowledge about HIV/AIDS, attitude towards condoms, or intention to use a condom on next sexual encounter. Examination of individual data revealed that, for some adolescents where behavioural change had occurred, this was in the direction of less safe sex. There were few self-reports of change in sexual behaviour, intention to take precautions against HIV/AIDS, or concern about HIV/AIDS over the preceding 6 months. Subjective reports of behaviour change did not correspond with reports of actual behaviour. Low rates of behaviour change are attributed to the failure of adolescents to personalize the threat of AIDS and to their trust in the safety of sex with a regular partner as well as to the lack of relevance of HIV/AIDS education campaigns to this group.     

The Relationship Between Group Identification and Satisfaction with Life in a Cross-Cultural Community Sample

A variety of studies have shown that group identification (a sense of belonging to one’s social group, coupled with a sense of commonality with the group’s members) is linked to high levels of satisfaction with life (SWL). The aim of the present study was to support and extend this literature by: (1) investigating the link between group identification and SWL with a large cross-cultural community sample; (2) examining whether the relationship is moderated by nationality; and (3) considering whether SWL is enhanced by possessing multiple group identifications simultaneously. Utilizing data from Wave 1 of the Health in Groups project, 3829 participants from both Scotland and Italy completed a questionnaire assessing their identification with their family, their local community, and a group of their choice, as well as their level of SWL. Higher identification with each group predicted higher SWL. Nationality was a marginal moderator of the relationship between family identification and SWL, with the relationship being stronger for Italian participants than for Scottish participants. There was also an additive effect of group identification, with a positive relationship between the number of groups with which participants identified and their SWL. These effects were obtained even after controlling for gender, age, employment status, nationality, and extent of contact with each group. The implications for healthcare professionals and their patients are discussed.     

The size-constancy of underwater swimmers

The size-constancy of divers was measured by requiring them to adjust the distance between two disks of unequal size so that they appeared phenomenally equal. In clear water divers showed greater constancy-ratios than on land. In murky water, where visibility was reduced by suspended particles, constancy-ratios were the same as, or less than, on land. It is suggested that these effects may be due to changes in apparent distance: in clear water objects appear nearer through refraction, but in murky water they appear further away because of the distance cues provided by the visibility gradient.

The orientation of the display, or of the diver's body, did not affect constancy under water, though it does on land. It is argued that the effect on land is due to visual and proprioceptive cues which are absent in the water.     

“The Parallel Dialogue”: Parental experience of their role in the relationship with their child's counsellor/psychotherapist

The parent–therapist relationship is a central consideration in child counselling and psychotherapy, particularly in private practice where parents are typically financially, emotionally and practically invested in the process. The relationship, which can be ambiguous and anxiety-laden on both sides, has historically received scant attention in therapeutic discourse, leading to gaps in practitioner confidence and training. In this context, and seeking to centre parent voices, this study provides an interpretative phenomenological analysis of four mothers' experiences of their role in the relationship with their child's therapist. Key identified themes encompass parental expectation of involvement; the destabilising, disorienting nature of the relationship; the centrality of trust; and critical evaluations of value. Findings are discussed in relation to attachment theory and cultural expectations of parental responsibility. The study concludes that the relationship is a live and potent property with potential to impact the course of the intervention, and recommends that practitioners thoughtfully consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of meeting or frustrating parental involvement expectations.