Examining the Impact of Training on the Homosexual Conduct Policy for Military Personnel

The impact of training related to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue policy on training outcomes of military personnel was examined with data from the Department of Defense Inspector General's Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue Policy Survey of military personnel (N = 71,570). We hypothesized that training related to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue policy would impact participant's reactions, learning and cognitive outcomes, and behavioral and organizational outcomes. Results indicate that individuals who reported having received training on the homosexual conduct policy perceived the policy to be more effective at preventing/reducing harassment; were more likely to feel free to report harassment complaints; reported greater levels of understating and were more knowledgeable of the policy; reported higher levels of intolerance of harassment; and reported that more actions had been take at their installation/ship to reduce and prevent harassment than individuals who had not received any training. Although the pattern of results was statistically significant, the magnitude of these effects were small (η ² = .001–.109). These findings highlight the continuing need to expand current efforts to reduce and curtail harassment based on perceived sexual orientation.     

The Effects of Social Capital and Neighborhood Characteristics on Intimate Partner Violence: A Consideration of Social Resources and Risks

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a growing public health problem, and gaps exist in knowledge with respect to appropriate prevention and treatment strategies. A growing body of research evidence suggests that beyond individual factors (e.g., socio‐economic status, psychological processes, substance abuse problems), neighborhood characteristics, such as neighborhood economic disadvantage, high crime rates, high unemployment and social disorder, are associated with increased risk for IPV. However, existing research in this area has focused primarily on risk factors inherent in neighborhoods, and has failed to adequately examine resources within social networks and neighborhoods that may buffer or prevent the occurrence of IPV. This study examines the effects of neighborhood characteristics, such as economic disadvantage and disorder, and individual and neighborhood resources, such as social capital, on IPV among a representative sample of 2412 residents of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Using a population based sample of 2412 randomly selected Toronto adults with comprehensive neighborhood level data on a broad set of characteristics, we conducted multi‐level modeling to examine the effects of individual‐ and neighborhood‐level effects on IPV outcomes. We also examined protective factors through a comprehensive operationalization of the concept of social capital, involving neighborhood collective efficacy, community group participation, social network structure and social support. Findings show that residents who were involved in one or more community groups in the last 12 months and had high perceived neighborhood problems were more likely to have experienced physical IPV. Residents who had high perceived social support and low perceived neighborhood problems were less likely to experience non‐physical IPV. These relationships did not differ by neighborhood income or gender. Findings suggest interesting contextual effects of social capital on IPV. Consistent with previous research, higher levels of perceived neighborhood problems can reflect disadvantaged environments that are more challenged in promoting health and regulating disorder, and can create stressors in which IPV is more likely to occur. Such analyses will be helpful to further understanding of the complex, multi‐level pathways related to IPV and to inform the development of effective programs and policies with which to address and prevent this serious public health issue.     

Eternal Connection: An Exploratory Study of the Effects of Learning About Near-Death Experiences on Adult Grief

We examined the effectiveness of a near-death experience (NDE) psychoeducational group bereavement intervention in reducing distressing aspects and enhancing a growth aspect of grief among bereaved adults. Participants were 22 females and 2 males (2 African American, 3 Asian, 2 Latina/o, and 17 White non-Latina/o) ranging in age from 20 to 71, with a mean age of 35.3 years. In this experimental design, we randomly assigned 12 participants to the experimental group and 12 participants to the waitlist control group. Effect size findings based on Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist scores indicated modest to substantial benefits of the NDE learning module intervention for bereaved adults in the form of decreased panic behavior, blame and anger, and detachment and increased personal growth. Conclusions include that further research into the effectiveness of NDE-related psychoeducational programs with bereaved individuals is warranted.     

Establishing the Duration of Crimes: An Individual Differences and Eye‐Tracking Investigation into Time Estimation

The time available for viewing a perpetrator at a crime scene predicts successful person recognition in subsequent identity line‐ups. This time is usually unknown and must be derived from eyewitnesses' duration estimates. This study therefore compared the estimates that different individuals provide for crimes. We then attempted to determine the accuracy of these durations by measuring observers' general time estimation ability with a set of estimator videos. Observers differed greatly in their ability to estimate time, but individual duration estimates correlated strongly for crime and estimator materials. This indicates that it might be possible to infer unknown durations of events, such as criminal incidents, from a person's ability to estimate known durations. We also measured observers' eye movements to a perpetrator during crimes. Only fixations on a perpetrator's face related to eyewitness accuracy, but these fixations did not correlate with exposure estimates for this person. The implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Associative retrieval processes in the human medial temporal lobe: hippocampal retrieval success and CA1 mismatch detection

Hippocampal subfields CA(3) and CA(1) are hypothesized to differentially support the generation of associative predictions and the detection of associative mismatches, respectively. Using high-resolution functional MRI, we examined hippocampal subfield activation during associative retrieval and during subsequent comparisons of memory to matching or mismatching decision probes. Activity in the dentate gyrus/CA(2/3), CA(1), and other medial temporal lobe subregions tracked associative retrieval success, whereas activity in CA(1) and the perirhinal cortex tracked the presence of associative mismatches. These data support the hypothesis that CA(1) acts as a "comparator," detecting when memory for the past and sensory input in the present diverge.     

Caregivers, young people with complex needs, and multiple service providers: a study of triangulated relationships

Five patterns of service provider-caregiver-adolescent interaction are discussed using qualitative interviews and file review data from 44 youth with complex needs who were clients of more than one psychosocial service (child welfare, mental health, addictions, juvenile justice, and special education). Findings show that young people and their families become triangulated with service providers, either engaging with, or resisting, interventions. For young people with complex needs involved with multiple service providers, both positive and negative patterns of interaction contribute to the complexity of caregiver-child interactions. According to young people themselves, the most functional of these patterns, empowerment, was experienced as protective when it helped them to meet their personal needs and enhance communication. In contrast, four problematic patterns produced triangulations described as conflictual or unsupportive. The implications of these patterns for family therapy are discussed with an emphasis on the therapist as both clinician and advocate for better services from multiple providers.     

The Children's Behavior Questionnaire very short scale: psychometric properties and development of a one-item temperament scale

Little research has been conducted on the psychometrics of the very short scale (36 items) of the Children's Behavior Questionnaire, and no one-item temperament scale has been tested for use in applied work. In this study, 237 United States caregivers completed a survey to define their child's behavioral patterns (i.e., Surgency, Negative Affectivity Effortful Control) using both scales. Psychometrics of the 36-item Children's Behavior Questionnaire were examined using classical test theory, principal factor analysis, and item response modeling. Classical test theory analysis demonstrated adequate internal consistency and factor analysis confirmed a three-factor structure. Potential improvements to the measure were identified using item response modeling. A one-item (three response categories) temperament scale was validated against the three temperament factors of the 36-item scale. The temperament response categories correlated with the temperament factors of the 36-item scale, as expected. The one-item temperament scale may be applicable for clinical use.     

Global hip‐hop identities: Black youth,psychoanalytic action research,and the Moving to the Beat project

The paper presents a psychoanalytically informed analysis of the concept of hip‐hop identity through the lens of a four‐year social action research and documentary film project, titled Moving to the Beat (M2B). The M2B project sought to document and unpack key psychological and social dynamics behind the struggle for a global identity among Black hip‐hop activists in Africa and America. Two groups were formed, one in Portland, Oregon and a second in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with the aim of enlisting hip‐hop as a mode of cross‐cultural dialogue and as a forum for activism. Three key themes are discussed as they emerged as sites of creative conflict through the M2B project: the struggle to establish a progressive identity over against politically and psychologically regressive currents in hip‐hop culture, the search for authenticity in the context of globally manufactured identities, and differing conceptions of rebellion and intergenerational conflict. The paper describes how psychoanalytic theory informed the process of producing the Moving to the Beat documentary film and working through these sites of conflict in negotiating the borders of hip‐hop global identities. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.