Self-efficacy Manipulation and State Anxiety Responses to Exercise in Low Active Women

The present study manipulated self-efficacy in an exercise context and examined its effect on the state anxiety of low active women. Participants ( N = 59) were randomly assigned to a low or high efficacy condition, and self-efficacy was manipulated by presentation of computer-generated false feedback after a graded exercise test. Participants returned for a second exercise bout several days later. Efficacy was successfully manipulated and participants in the high efficacy condition reported significantly less anxiety than those in the low efficacy condition both after the graded exercise test and before and after an acute bout of exercise. Results are discussed in terms of the effect of exercise intensity and manipulation condition on anxiety.     

Theoretical developments in decision field theory: comment on Tsetsos, Usher, and Chater (2010)

Tsetsos, Usher, and Chater (2010) presented several criticisms of decision field theory (DFT) involving its distance function, instability under externally controlled stopping times, and lack of robustness to various multialternative choice scenarios. Here, we counter those claims with a specification of a distance function based on the indifference and dominance dimensions. Using this distance function, we show that the instability problems do not arise when using the internally controlled stopping rule. In conclusion, we argue that the predictions of DFT do not conflict with the data presented and that the model yet provides a coherent and accurate account of multialternative choice phenomena.     

False positives in psychiatric diagnosis: implications for human freedom

Current symptom-based DSM and ICD diagnostic criteria for mental disorders are prone to yielding false positives because they ignore the context of symptoms. This is often seen as a benign flaw because problems of living and emotional suffering, even if not true disorders, may benefit from support and treatment. However, diagnosis of a disorder in our society has many ramifications not only for treatment choice but for broader social reactions to the diagnosed individual. In particular, mental disorders impose a sick role on individuals and place a burden upon them to change; thus, disorders decrease the level of respect and acceptance generally accorded to those with even annoying normal variations in traits and features. Thus, minimizing false positives is important to a pluralistic society. The harmful dysfunction analysis of disorder is used to diagnose the sources of likely false positives, and propose potential remedies to the current weaknesses in the validity of diagnostic criteria.     

Relationships Between Meaning in Life,Social and Achievement Events,and Positive and Negative Affect in Daily Life

Research on meaning in life has generally focused on global meaning judgments. This study examined how people's daily experiences, represented by events that occur in daily life, influence their perceived sense of meaning on a daily basis. One hundred sixty‐two college students completed daily reports for 2 weeks. We examined the relationships among daily social and achievement events, daily positive and negative affect, and daily meaning in life. In addition, we tested the possible moderating influence of depressive symptoms on these relationships. Positive daily social and achievement events were related to greater daily meaning, above and beyond the contributions of daily positive and negative affect. Negative social and achievement events were related to less daily meaning, and negative achievement events covaried with daily meaning above and beyond positive and negative affect. Depression moderated the relationships between positive events and meaning, such that people who reported more depressive symptoms had greater increases in daily meaning in response to positive social and achievement events than individuals who reported fewer symptoms. These findings suggest the important role that daily events may play in fluctuations in people's affective experiences and sense of meaning in life.     

Emergence and Human Conduct

Emergence, the occurrence of novel, unpredictable human behavior, is an inherent aspect of human experience on both the individual and collective levels. In this article, we considered the ubiquitous nature emergent events, indicated some of the ways such events manifest themselves, analyzed the personal and inter-personal processes that give rise to them, and suggested some of their implications for psychology and the other social science. Given the inescapable presence of emergence in human conduct, a redefinition of the goals and scope of social science may be desirable.     

A Nonparametric,Multiple Imputation-Based Method for the Retrospective Integration of Data Sets

Complex research questions often cannot be addressed adequately with a single data set. One sensible alternative to the high cost and effort associated with the creation of large new data sets is to combine existing data sets containing variables related to the constructs of interest. The goal of the present research was to develop a flexible, broadly applicable approach to the integration of disparate data sets that is based on nonparametric multiple imputation and the collection of data from a convenient, de novo calibration sample. We demonstrate proof of concept for the approach by integrating three existing data sets containing items related to the extent of problematic alcohol use and associations with deviant peers. We discuss both necessary conditions for the approach to work well and potential strengths and weaknesses of the method compared to other data set integration approaches.     

Spontaneous Regression to an Infant Age Level during Self-Hypnosis

(Lynd, H. M. On Shame and the Search for Identity. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1958. Pp. 318.) Reviewed by Henry Winthrop.     

A psychoanalytic view of reactions to the coronavirus pandemic in China*

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis - The coronavirus pandemic, which apparently began in Wuhan in December 2019, and has persisted to the present day, has had several psychological effects in...