The influence of facial masculinity and voice pitch on jealousy and perceptions of intrasexual rivalry

The assessment of same-sex individuals as intrasexual competitors may depend in part on the perceived mate value of potential rivals. Men’s and women’s preferences for vocal and facial masculinity suggest that feminine women and masculine men may be perceived as more threatening intrasexual competitors. We tested the influence of men’s and women’s vocal and facial masculinity on preferences for who should accompany romantic partners on a weekend trip and on jealousy in response to imagined flirting. We found that men and women preferred their partners to be accompanied by people who had less masculine/feminine voices, and were more jealous in response to people who had relatively more masculine/feminine voices. Women, but not men, rated faces with exaggerated sex-typical characteristics as undesirable travel companions for their romantic partners and reported more jealousy in response to imagined flirting from such faces. We also found that participants who rated masculine male and feminine female stimuli as more attractive also perceived such stimuli as greater intrasexual threats, demonstrating individual differences in competition-related social perceptions. Our findings indicate that perceptions related to intrasexual competition are related to cues to underlying mate quality, which may aid in effective mate guarding.     

Self-blame attributions,control appraisals and distress among cardiac rehabilitation patients

This study examined associations between self-blame attributions, control appraisals and distress among cardiovascular disease patients participating in a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programme. Questionnaire data were collected from 129 patients at the beginning and end of CR. We found little evidence that characterological self-blame (CSB) affects distress symptoms, but behavioural self-blame at the beginning of CR was positively associated with distress symptoms concurrently, and 12 weeks later. Furthermore, diet- and exercise-focused self-blame was only modestly, positively related to control appraisals concurrently, while CSB was negatively associated with control. Prospectively, we found few significant associations between self-blame and control. Results imply that making any type of self-blame attribution during CR does not aid in adjustment or enhanced control appraisals. Our findings suggest that CR staff should encourage patients to recognise their control over reducing risk for recurrence, but should discourage patients from looking backward and ruminating about factors that may have contributed to disease onset.     

Beliefs about surgery: Development and validation of an instrument to assess cognitive representations about surgery,in the context of a chronic illness

Objectives: Within a trial of medical and surgical treatments for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GORD), involving randomised arms and preference arms, we tested the applicability of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) and developed and tested the validity of a new Beliefs about Surgery Questionnaire (BSQ). Methods: Patients with GORD (N = 43) were interviewed to elicit their beliefs about medical and surgical treatments. These contributed to the development of BSQ items. The BMQ and BSQ were completed by trial participants at baseline (randomised trial: N = 325; preference trial: N = 414). Factor analysis and discriminant function analysis were used to assess validity. Results: Principal components analysis (PCA) largely replicated the four-factor BMQ structure. PCA of the combined BMQ/BSQ yielded six factors explaining 54.5% variance. BSQ items loaded onto distinct factors, demonstrating divergence from BMQ. As predicted, BMQ/BSQ scores enabled correct classification of 78.5% of participants to medication and surgery groups in the preference trial (χ²(6) = 205.9, p < 0.001) but only 54.5% (no better than chance) in the randomised trial (χ²(6) = 9.4, p = 0.154). Conclusions: The BSQ is a valid measure of perceptions about surgical treatments for GORD. With the BMQ, it provides information that may guide patients’ choices about treatment. This measure may be applicable to other conditions.     

Main and interactive effects of social support in predicting mental health symptoms in men and women following military stressor exposure

Abstract

Evidence across a multitude of contexts indicates that social support is associated with reduced risk for mental health symptoms. More information is needed on the effectiveness of different sources of support, as well as sex differences in support. Associations between social support from two sources – the military unit and friends and family – and mental health symptoms were examined in a study of 1571 Marine recruits assessed at the beginning and end of a highly stressful 13-week training program. Military social support buffered the stressor exposure–posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) relationship, whereas the relationship between stressor exposure and PTSS was highest when civilian social support was high. Further inspection of the interactions revealed that military support was most important at high levels of stressor exposure. Sex differences in the relationship between social support and symptoms were found, such that support from military peers was associated with lower levels of PTSS for men, whereas civilian support was associated with lower PTSS for women. While civilian social support was associated with lower levels of depression symptom severity in both women and men, the relationship was stronger for women. Reviewed implications focus on the importance of considering the recipient, source, and context of social support.     

Religiosity,Intolerant Attitudes,and Domestic Violence Myth Acceptance

The latent construct of religiosity comprised measures of external, internal, and quest religiosity and was examined in relation to the latent construct of intolerant attitudes in a sample of undergraduate and graduate students at a Christian-affiliated university. The latent construct of intolerance included the indicators of rape and domestic violence myth acceptance, social dominance, dogmatism, and negative attitudes toward women. Multivariate results revealed significant negative correlations between internal and quest religiosity and indicators of intolerant attitudes, including the interpersonal violence myth acceptance scales. Quest religiosity also demonstrated unique univariate quadratic effects with both rape myth acceptance and domestic violence myth acceptance. Moderate levels of questing were associated with highest levels of interpersonal violence myth acceptance. Implications for the existing literature are discussed within the framework of a relational conceptualization of religiosity.     

Low is large: spatial location and pitch interact in voice-based body size estimation

Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics - The binding of incongruent cues poses a challenge for multimodal perception. Indeed, although taller objects emit sounds from higher elevations,...     

Treatment of a Case Example With PTSD and Chronic Pain

This commentary reviews the case of GH, a survivor of a road traffic collision, who has chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The case formulation, assessment strategy, and treatment plan are informed by the relevant experimental literature and empirically supported treatments using a cognitive behavioral perspective. Given this framework, the commentary includes a focus on the treatment of PTSD with an eye toward generalizing the therapeutic strategies to chronic pain problems. Psychoeducation, imaginal exposure to the traumatic event, in vivo exposure to avoided activities, and cognitive interventions including coping self-statements, correction of logical errors, decatastrophizing and developing alternative explanations are all included in the recommendations as part of a standard cognitive behavioral treatment for PTSD. Added to this standard PTSD protocol is the suggested use of interoceptive exposure to address GH’s feared bodily sensations. In the assessment domain, standard measures for pain and PTSD assessment are suggested along with tracking of depression and anxiety sensitivity. Some recognition of more recent approaches to cognitive behavioral therapy (e.g., Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) is given in considering potential obstacles to treatment.     

Supporting Integrity of Discrete Trial Teaching via Tiered Consultation: A Pilot Study

Empirically supported consultation procedures for supporting implementation of evidence-based interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), such as performance feedback, may be challenging to implement in public schools. Educators may find performance feedback aversive, and support personnel may find its directiveness incompatible with their professional roles. This pilot study extends recent advances in implementation science, by investigating the influence of tiered consultation on intervention integrity of Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT). A less intensive form of implementation support was examined for its feasibility and effectiveness. Collaborative Student Data Review (CSDR) includes discussion, general feedback, and modeling. Preliminary findings indicate that CSDR is a feasible and acceptable form of implementation support, and that it shows potential as a form of implementation support for DTT.