The demonstration group: a tool for observing group process and leadership style

Demonstration groups, a major modality for observing group process, have not been addressed in the group psychotherapy literature. This article defines the demonstration group and describes and discusses its various components: the volunteers (group members) and their recruitment, the demonstration group itself, group member debriefing, and the didactic component. Discussion of the physical setting, group agreements, and boundary considerations, as well as leadership tasks, challenges, and pitfalls are illustrated with examples. Leadership tasks in demonstration groups are compared with those in therapy groups. Guidelines that are likely to promote successful demonstration group experiences are provided. The leader's facility with the unconscious defense mechanism of projective identification is stressed.     

The body-image questionnaire: an extension

The 19-item Body-Image Questionnaire, developed by our team and first published in this journal in 1987 by Bruchon-Schweitzer, was administered to 1,222 male and female French subjects. A principal component analysis of their responses yielded an axis we interpreted as a general Body Satisfaction dimension. The four-factor structure observed in 1987 was not replicated. Body Satisfaction was associated with sex, health, and with current and future emotional adjustment.     

A quaternary temperament model and defense cluster preferences

A quaternary model of temperament constructed from orthogonal axes defined by Extraversion-Introversion and Thinking-Feeling resulted in four groups: Introverted Thinking, Introverted Feeling, Extraverted Thinking, and Extraverted Feeling. Hypothesized relationships between quaternary groups and defense cluster preferences were tested by giving 158 female college students the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Defense Mechanisms Inventory. There was little support for hypothesized relationships between the quaternary model and defense preferences. The only hypothesized significant group difference showed the Extraverted Feeling group recording a greater preference for the Reversal defense cluster than the Introverted Feeling group.     

How do people learn to allocate resources? Comparing two learning theories

How do people learn to allocate resources? To answer this question, 2 major learning models are compared, each incorporating different learning principles. One is a global search model, which assumes that allocations are made probabilistically on the basis of expectations formed through the entire history of past decisions. The 2nd is a local adaptation model, which assumes that allocations are made by comparing the present decision with the most successful decision up to that point, ignoring all other past decisions. In 2 studies, participants repeatedly allocated a capital resource to 3 financial assets. Substantial learning effects occurred, although the optimal allocation was often not found. From the calibrated models of Study 1, a priori predictions were derived and tested in Study 2. This generalization test shows that the local adaptation model provides a better account of learning in resource allocations than the global search model.     

Correlations of religious belief and practice with college students' tattoo-related behavior

This research builds on a large body of literature which suggests that religious belief and practice suppress deviant behavior. Survey data from 520 undergraduates (64% freshmen and sophomores; 70% female; 80% Euro-American) at a large public university in the southwest were examined for whether students' strength of religious faith, church attendance, or frequency of prayer correlated with their having a tattoo, being interested in tattoos, or being likely to get a (or another) tattoo. Analysis showed strength of religious faith had a weak, negative correlation with having a tattoo, being interested in tattoos, and being likely to get a (or another) tattoo. Church attendance also weakly correlated with a reduced interest in tattooing. Since the strength of the numerous correlations was very low and barely reached statistical significance, religious belief and behavior do not appear to be associated substantively with attitudes and behavior regarding tattoos. This suggests increasing cultural acceptance of tattooing.     

Morally based self-esteem, drinking motives, and alcohol use among college students.

This research examined the relationship of morally based self-esteem with drinking motives and alcohol consumption among college students. Basing self-esteem on morals was expected to be negatively associated with drinking behavior. We further expected this relationship to be mediated by drinking motives. Participants (N = 201; 45% male, 55% female) completed self-report measures of contingencies of self-worth, drinking motives, and drinking behavior. Previous research was supported in that college students whose self-esteem was more strongly contingent upon following personal morals consumed less alcohol. The current research extended these findings by showing that this relationship was mediated by drinking motives. Results suggest that it may be useful to better incorporate personal values into interventions for college students. The implementation of personal values in combination with brief treatments is discussed.