Effect of a Faith-Based Education Program on Self-Assessed Physical,Mental and Spiritual (Religious) Health Parameters

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of attending a faith-based education program (FBEP) on self-assessed physical, mental and spiritual health parameters. The study was designed as a prospective, observational, cohort study of individuals attending a 5-day FBEP. Out of 2650 sequential online registrants, those previously unexposed to the FBEP received automated invitations to complete 5 sequential Self-Assessment Questionnaire’s (SAQ’s) containing: (1) Duke University Religion Index (DUREL); (2) Negative Religious Coping (N-RCOPE); (3) Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); (4) Center for Epidemiology and Statistics-Depression Scale (CES-D); (5) Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ); and the (6) State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Pre-attendance SAQ (S1) was repeated immediately post-FBEP (S2), at 30 days (S3), 90 days (S4) and after 1 year (S5). Of 655 invited, 274 (42 %) succeeded, 242 (37 %) failed and 139 (21 %) declined to complete S1. Of the 274, 37 (14 %) were excluded at on-site interview; 26 (9 %) never attended the FBEP (i.e., controls: 5♂; 21♀; 27–76 years); and 211 (77 %) participated (i.e., cases: 105♂; 106♀; 18–84 years) and were analyzed over time: 211 (S1); 192 (S2); 99 (S3); 52 (S4); 51 (S5). IRB approval was via the Human Research Ethics Committee of Stellenbosch University. DUREL showed significant, sustained changes in Intrinsic Religiosity. N-RCOPE showed significant, lasting improvement. In others, median values dropped significantly immediately after the FBEP (S1:S2) for STAI-State p < 0.0001; PSS p < 0.0001; BIPQ p < 0.0001; and CES-D p < 0.0001; and at 1 month (S1:S3) for STAI-Trait p < 0.001; all changes were sustained (S3 through S5). This FBEP produced statistically and clinically significant changes; these lasted in those followed up >1 year.     

Similar phenomena,different mechanisms: Semantic and phonological false memories are produced by independent mechanisms

The Deese/Roediger-McDermott paradigm can produce high levels of false remembering for lists of both semantic and phonological associates. The present study investigated whether similar mechanisms mediate false memories with these two types of lists. Experiment 1 measured the relationship between levels of false memory obtained with lists of semantic and phonological associates. The results indicated little correlation between false memories generated with the two types of associates. Experiment 2 used a between-subjects design to determine whether the absence of a significant correlation in Experiment 1 was a consequence of the relatively low levels of false memory observed in that experiment. The results indicated similar proportions of false memories in Experiments 1 and 2, suggesting that the within-subjects design in Experiment 1 did not reduce the overall levels of false recall or recognition. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the independence of the mechanisms mediating different types of false memories.     

Seeing race and seeming racist? Evaluating strategic colorblindness in social interaction

One strategy practiced by many Whites to regulate the appearance of prejudice during social interaction is to avoid talking about race, or even acknowledging racial difference. Four experiments involving a dyadic task investigated antecedents and consequences of this tendency. Observed colorblindness was strategic in nature: Whites' acknowledgment of race was highly susceptible to normative pressure and most evident among individuals concerned with self-presentational aspects of appearing biased (Study 1). However, this tendency was often counterproductive, as avoiding race during interracial interaction predicted negative nonverbal behavior (Study 1), a relationship mediated by decreased capacity to exert inhibitory control (Study 2). Two studies examining White and Black observers' impressions of colorblind behavior revealed divergent assessments of actors' prejudice in situations where race was clearly relevant (Study 3) but convergent assessments when race was less relevant (Study 4). Practical and theoretical implications for interracial interaction are considered.     

Responding in configural discrimination problems depends on density of reinforcement in time

Previous research has shown that conditioned responding in differential skin conductance conditioning increased for reinforced stimuli (CSs+) but remained constant for nonreinforced stimuli (CSs-) due to decreasing reinforcement density. The present two experiments (Experiment 1: Negative patterning; Experiment 2: Positive patterning) were designed to disentangle a possible confound of reinforcement density with stimulus frequency. In order to achieve this, we varied the intertrial interval (18 s, 24 s, or 48 s) and held constant the numbers of CSs+ and of CSs- in each of both discrimination problems. With increasing intertrial intervals, we found higher responding both to CSs+ and to CSs- as well as increased response differentiation. We discuss these results with respect to two mechanisms offered by Wagner's SOP model and conclude that the observed effects are due to variations in density of reinforcement in time.     

Gender and Suicide Risk: The Role of Wound Site

That males have higher suicide rates than females is one of the most empirically documented social facts in suicidology, but the reasons for this continue to be debated. For the present paper, we tested a neglected contributing factor to the gender suicide ratio: wound site or the area of the body that is wounded in firearm suicides. Males may have a higher suicide rate, in part, due to their greater likelihood than women for shooting themselves in the head as opposed to the body. This has been related to gender differences in fear of facial disfigurement and suicide intent. Data from the Wayne County Medical examiner's office regarding 807 suicides committed with firearms was analyzed. The dependent variable was dichotomous and referred to the location of the site of the wound: gunshot to the head vs. gunshot to the body. Controls for demographic covariates of suicide included age and race of the suicide victim. The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis determined that women were 47% less apt than men to shoot themselves in the head. Further analysis determined that women were less apt than men to use shotguns and rifles in their suicides (weapons that make head shooting more awkward). The findings are consistent with the notion that women are more concerned than men with facial disfigurement, and that women have a lower desire to die than men.