Are there qualitative differences between face processing in photographic positive and negative?

The question whether face recognition in photographic negative relies more on external features and pictorial cues than in photographic positive was studied in five experiments. Recognition of whole faces as well as both external and internal features of the faces was compared in experiments 1 and 2. The conditions in which views of faces between learning and test were either identical (hence providing maximum pictorial cues) or different (hence reducing such cues) were compared in experiments 3, 4, and 5. The results showed that recognition of internal features in two-tone and multi-tone images suffered more from use of photographic negatives than recognition of external features. Testing with both multi-tone and two-tone images revealed that the deficit caused by view changes between learning and test was no more severe with negatives than with positives. Finally, removing external features made recognition of different views equally more difficult for positives and negatives. Overall, these results point to a qualitative rather than quantitative difference between processing face images in photographic positive and negative.     

The Latent Threat of Community Violence: Indirect Exposure to Local Homicides and Adolescents’ Mental Health in Colombia

This study examines the relation between adolescents’ indirect exposure to local homicides and mental health disorders and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. We employ a sample of 300 adolescents ( representative for Bogotá, Colombia, and geocoded data on violent crimes recorded by the national police. Findings show that one SD increment in local homicides is associated with increments by 0.17 SD in the mental health disorder index and a 0.14 SD increase in the PTSD score index, even after accounting for adolescents’ direct exposure to violence. The estimated effect for PTSD was larger for adolescents’ who were directly exposed to violence and for those living in multidimensionally poor households, whereas no detectable effects were found for adolescents who perceived their residential neighborhood as relatively safe.     

Making the transition: How finding a good job is a risky business for military Veterans in Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT

Veterans transitioning from the military to civilian life may encounter difficulties in different domains of functioning. Most research in this area comes from the US and Israel, with Veterans in Northern Ireland (NI) in the United Kingdom, remaining an understudied population. This qualitative study aimed to examine the nature of transition experiences of NI Veterans by analyzing responses (N = 252) to an open-ended question related to the transition process, in a self-report survey. Thematic analysis highlighted both positive and negative experiences across high-level themes. These were related to (1a) how good the military life had been, (1b) the transition had been easy for some Veterans, and (1c) the skills gained in the military have been valuable; (2) it was hard to adjust to civilian life/still adjusting; (3) negative employment experiences; (4) lack of trust; (5) transitioning is hard in NI; and (6) inadequate support, post-service. The findings highlight that NI Veterans share some of the same challenges as other Veterans; however, the challenges in NI are compounded by ongoing security concerns and political tensions, which means living under the radar is a reality for many, making finding meaningful work and community integration difficult. The findings indicate that preparation for civilian life and the acculturation process needs to start many months before discharge. Perhaps more crucially, regiments should work closely with and support civilian employers to equip them to recognize and value the skills ex-Services Veterans can offer, and find a good fit for their skills within their organizations.