Residual Effects of Slavery: A Delphi Study

Slavery and its aftermath have created multiple challenges that are unique to the African American community. Although literature exists within other disciplines, no published empirical study within the marriage and family therapy literature has examined the residual effects of slavery. We used a modified Delphi methodology to explore the residual effects of slavery on African Americans and to determine resultant clinical implications. To obtain information from panelists who have expertise in this area, we conducted three rounds of data collection: an open-ended questionnaire, a Likert-scale questionnaire, and a round of in-depth interviews. Based on our analysis of the data collected, this empirical study describes the influence of the residual effects of slavery, implications for clinicians and directions for future research.

     

Latinx Parents’ Perception of Discrimination and Ethnic/Racial Socialization Predict Their Elementary School Children’s Perceptions of Discrimination

Journal of Child and Family Studies - The present study examined whether Latinx parents’ perceptions of personal discrimination and perception of biases against Latinx people in the United...     

Communitarianism 'Social Constitution,' and Autonomy

Communitarians defend what we may call the 'social constitution thesis,' that participation in society makes us what we are. This claim, however, is ambiguous. In an attempt to shed some light on it and to better understand the impact its truth would have on our beliefs regarding autonomy, I offer four possible ways it could be understood and four corresponding senses of individual independence and autonomy. I also indicate what senses liberals can accept that we are socially constituted and in what sense I take communitarians to argue we are socially constituted.     

“Transformation Tuesday”: Temporal context and post valence influence the provision of social support on social media

Social network sites (SNSs) such as Facebook have become integral in the development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships. Users of SNSs seek social support and validation, often using posts that illustrate how they have changed over time. The purpose of the present research is to examine how the valence and temporal context of an SNS post affect the likelihood of other users providing social support. Participants viewed hypothetical SNS posts and reported their intentions to provide social support to the users. Results revealed that participants were more likely to provide social support for posts that were positive and included temporal context (i.e., depicted improvement over time; Study 1). Furthermore, this research suggests that visual representations of change over time are needed to elicit social support (Study 2). Results are discussed in terms of their practical implications for SNS users and theoretical implications for the literature on social support and social media.     

Perspectives on Increasing Positive Attitudes Toward Larger Members in Fitness Centers

Physical activity (PA) attenuates weight-associated morbidity and mortality but PA-based weight bias dissuades many people from engaging in and enjoying physical activity. Guided by self-determination theory, we implemented concept mapping with current and past members and employees of fitness centers. One hundred ideas were generated, representing the concepts of programming, fitness culture, code of conduct, professional development, and physical environment/amenities. The ideas can help design interventions that increase positive attitudes that are autonomous, shared throughout a fitness center, and promote inclusivity.     

Delivering Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Weight Self-Stigma Through Guided Self-Help: Results From an Open Pilot Trial

Weight self-stigma is a promising target for innovative interventions seeking to improve outcomes among overweight/obese individuals. Preliminary research suggests acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) may be an effective approach for reducing weight self-stigma, but a guided self-help version of this intervention may improve broad dissemination. This pilot open trial sought to evaluate the potential acceptability and efficacy of a guided self-help ACT intervention, included coaching and a self-help book, with a sample of 13 overweight/obese individuals high in weight self-stigma. Results indicated a high degree of program engagement (77% completed the intervention) and satisfaction. Participants improved on outcomes over time including weight self-stigma, emotional eating, weight management behaviors, health-related quality of life, and depression. Although not a directly targeted outcome, participants improved on objectively measured weight, with an average of 4.18 pounds lost over 7 weeks, but did not improve on self-reported weight at 3-month follow-up. Processes of change improved over time, including psychological inflexibility, valued action and reasons to lose weight. Coaching effects indicated greater retention and improvements over time with one coach vs. the other, suggesting characteristics of coaching can affect outcomes. Overall, these results provide preliminary support for the acceptability and efficacy of a guided self-help ACT program for weight self-stigma. Implications of these results and how to address clinical challenges with guided self-help are discussed.