The sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates of COVID-19 vaccine concerns among urban college students

COVID-19 vaccine concerns remain high among Americans. Although recent studies have investigated the sociodemographic disparities in vaccine concerns, less attention has been given to reasons for vaccine skepticism and psychosocial factors that may explain it. The current study examined specific types of vaccine concerns among a diverse sample of college students (N = 1985) living in New York City. Participants who identified as Black, younger, with later immigrant generational status, and those with more conservative political leanings reported more vaccine concerns. Concerns regarding vaccine side effects were the most frequently reported source of concern. Reason for getting vaccinated, personal experiences with COVID, and COVID stress was also associated with vaccine concerns. Study results emphasize the importance of sociodemographic factors and COVID knowledge and stress in examining and addressing vaccine concerns.     

Safety behaviors were associated with greater anxious symptoms during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

Research shows that people who use safety behaviors are at greater risk factor for anxiety than people who do not use safety behaviors. However, the perception of some safety behaviors changed during the COVID-19 pandemic; behaviors that were once considered unnecessary or excessive were now commonplace (e.g., monitoring bodily symptoms, avoiding crowds). The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which the pandemic changed the status of health-related safety behaviors as a risk factor for symptoms of anxiety. To this end, we tested the effect of safety behavior use on anxious symptoms during the first year of the pandemic using a longitudinal design with 8 time points and participants (n = 233) from over 20 countries. Despite possible changes in their perception, those engaging in high levels of safety behaviors reported the greatest levels of anxious symptoms throughout the pandemic year. However, the outcomes for safety behavior users were not all negative. Safety behavior use at baseline was the only predictor of participants' willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (measured one year later).     

EMG waveform duration: A validation method for the surface electromyogram

The electromyogram (EMG) recorded with surface electrodes was examined using a triggered oscilloscope technique. When all but the high-amplitude waveforms in a given segment of activity were excluded from analysis, it was found that the duration of the remaining waveforms was specific to the muscle that produced them. That is, waveforms of a given duration were recorded whenever conventional indices-observable contraction, joint movement. needle recordings-showed activity in a specific muscle. This led to the suggestion that waveform duration might be used to validate the surface EMG. The suggestion. which is limited by the need to control posture and electrode placement, both of which may influence waveform duration, was illustrated in application to psychological research.     

Monitoring simultaneous auditory messages

If a S is asked to monitor two simultaneous auditory speech messages and to report only on the occurrence of target words appearing at random in either message, then it is shown that he witt fail to detect all of them but will detect significantly more than half. The targets used in these experiments were immediate repeats of text words. The results reject theories that part of the sensory input is blocked or that all is recognized. Detection performance was a function of rate of speech and of intertarget interval; there was a small, not significant, effect of instruction to recognize message content.     

Contrast and assimilation in lightness judgments

Experiments studied how assimilation and contrast varied as a function of the reflectance of figures above and below the reflectance of a gray background. The results showed that for the experimental conditions investigated: (a) contrast always occurs when the reflectance of lines is above the reflectance of the background, (b) assimilation occurs when the reflectance is below that of the background, (c) circles produce the same degree of assimilation and contrast as lines of equal width, and (d) repeated judgments do not affect contrast but reduce assimilation; as line darkness and line width increase assimilation gives way to contrast following repeated judgments. The results are discussed in connection with the hypothesis that assimilation and contrast arise from opponent processes in the visual system.     

Contrast and assimilation in lightness judgments

Experiments studied how assimilation and contrast varied as a function of the reflectance of figures above and below the reflectance of a gray background. The results showed that for the experimental conditions investigated: (a) contrast always occurs when the reflectance of lines is above the reflectance of the background, (b) assimilation occurs when the reflectance is below that of the background, (c) circles produce the same degree of assimilation and contrast as lines of equal width, and (d) repeated judgments do not affect contrast but reduce assimilation; as line darkness and line width increase assimilation gives way to contrast following repeated judgments. The results are discussed in connection with the hypothesis that assimilation and contrast arise from opponent processes in the visual system,     

Willingness to Seek Help as a Function of Self-Disclosure and Problem Severity

In this study the authors examined the effects of problem severity, amount of self-disclosure, and self-disclosure flexibility on willingness to seek help for a problem. The participants were 101 midwestern university students enrolled in an introductory psychology course who had not had previous counseling experience. The participants completed the Jourard Self-Disclosure Questionnaire (SDQ), the Chelune Self-Disclosure Situations Survey (SDSS), and responded to questions after reading a scenario depicting a personal problem of either high or low severity. The results indicated that the factors that predicted the greatest amount of variance in willingness to seek help were the interaction of problem severity with willingness to self-disclose to a counselor, followed by problem severity; no gender differences were found. Implications for counseling and further research are discussed.     

Grandparents Affected by Parental Divorce: A Population at Risk?

When parents divorce, grandparents who have bonded with grandchildren may be affected, particularly when denied visitation. In this article the author reviews normative aspects of grand-parenthood and how grandparents are affected by parental divorce. Legal and ethical issues and counseling interventions are discussed.     

Influences of Acculturation on Mexican-American Drinking Practices: Implications for Counseling

Literature on the drinking practices of Mexican Americans is discussed from the perspectives of three acculturation models: linear acculturation, acculturative stress, and marginality stress. Culturally competent alcohol counseling practices are proposed.     

CHINESE VALUE SYSTEM AND MANAGERIAL BEHAVIOUR*

This is a paper which reviews and discusses the implications of Chinese value systems for managerial behaviour in Taiwan. With a central assumption that managerial behaviour and styles are largely shaped by the values and normative systems of senior members of corporate management, a study of 43 industrial firms in Taiwan investigating their organisational structure and the managerial assumptions, values and other socio-demographical features of their senior managers was conducted. The results of the research lead to the construction of a typology of four managerial patterns in Taiwan today, viz. the ‘grass-roots’ type, the ‘Mainlander’ type, the ‘specialist’ type and the ‘transitional’ type. While the ‘transitional’ type is more or less by definition ‘transient’, a tendency is postulated by the authors for both the ‘grass-roots’ and ‘Mainlander’ types to move gradually to converge with the ‘specialist’ type which will become increasingly widespread in Taiwan.