Males Prefer Younger Females: Age Preference Among Online Daters in the Dominican Republic

Previous research has found that online daters show a trend in age preference, with males seeking females younger than themselves and females seeking males older than themselves. These studies covered a wide geographic area but not in the Caribbean. To contribute to the literature, we examine online daters’ age preferences in the Dominican Republic. Our statistical analyses show that similar gendered age preferences exist among Dominican online daters even after controlling for their ages. On average, Dominican males prefer younger partners and the reverse is true for females. While there might be cultural differences in different countries affecting the extent and degree of age preferences, the consistent difference by sex underscores the challenges faced by older females in the online dating market.     

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE AND FREQUENCY OF RESPONSE‐DEPENDENT STIMULI UNCORRELATED WITH REINFORCEMENT

Stimuli uncorrelated with reinforcement have been shown to enhance response rates and resistance to disruption; however, the effects of different rates of stimulus presentations have not been assessed. In two experiments, we assessed the effects of adding different rates of response‐dependent brief stimuli uncorrelated with primary reinforcement on relative response rates and resistance to change. In both experiments, pigeons responded on variable‐interval 60‐s schedules of food reinforcement in two components of a multiple schedule, and brief response‐dependent keylight‐color changes were added to one or both components. Although relative response rates were not systematically affected in either experiment, relative resistance to presession feeding and extinction were. In Experiment 1, adding stimuli on a variable‐interval schedule to one component of a multiple schedule either at a low rate (1 per min) for one group or at a high rate (4 per min) for another group similarly increased resistance to disruption in the components with added stimuli. When high and low rates of stimuli were presented across components (i.e., within subjects) in Experiment 2, however, relative resistance to disruption was greater in the component presenting stimuli at a lower rate. These results suggest that stimuli uncorrelated with food reinforcement do not strengthen responding in the same way as primary reinforcers.     

The predictive validity of belief in future occurrence

Prospection is associated, in varying degrees, with a sense that imagined events will (or will not) happen in the future—referred to as belief in future occurrence. The present research investigated to what extent this belief is justified and predicts the actual occurrence of events in the future. In two studies, participants rated their belief in the future occurrence of events imagined to happen in the coming month (Study 1) or week (Study 2), and the actual occurrence of events was then assessed. Results showed that the odds of event occurrence were about 2 times higher with an increase of 1 unit on the belief scale. Belief was particularly pronounced for temporally close events and was largely determined by the congruence of events with autobiographical knowledge. These results suggest that belief in future occurrence has some truth value and may inform decisions and actions.     

Evaluation of the Latin American version of the Life Orientation Test-Revised

The Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) is the most intensively used instrument for the assessment of optimism, but empirical evidence of its psychometric quality in Latin America is lacking. The aim of this study was to test psychometric properties of this questionnaire based on a representative sample of the general population of Colombia (N = 1,500). Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the bi-dimensionality of the questionnaire with two factors, namely Optimism and Pessimism. The sum scores of the optimism and pessimism subscale correlated with r = ?.12. Convergent validity aspects were studied by correlating LOT-R values with anxiety, depression, quality of life, fatigue, mental health, hopelessness, and self-efficacy. Optimism was more strongly correlated with these variables than pessimism. Normative data and mean values for both genders and different age groups are given. Generally, there were only small age and gender effects. Compared to the German norm data, the Colombian participants scored on average one scale point higher in the dimension of optimism. In summary, the LOT-R in its Spanish version is an appropriate and practical tool for screening purposes in individual diagnostics and epidemiological research in Latin American samples.     

A Study of the Performance on English and Spanish Editions of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test by Spanish-American Children

Twenty male Ss between the ages of three and nine years were shown individually, 12 video scenes of interpersonal situations depicting either peer-peer, peer-adult, or adult-adult in one of two contexts: either cooperative or uncooperative. After each video presentation the S was questioned about the actions and emotions expressed in the scene.

The older Ss were more literal and gave greater detail in their recounting of the scenes. Since the experiment was not methodically complex enough to provide substantial information about the roles of egocentricity and decentering in the child's comprehension of social interaction, alternative paradigms were suggested.     

An Evaluation of Weighting Methods Based on Propensity Scores to Reduce Selection Bias in Multilevel Observational Studies

Observational studies of multilevel data to estimate treatment effects must consider both the nonrandom treatment assignment mechanism and the clustered structure of the data. We present an approach for implementation of four propensity score (PS) methods with multilevel data involving creation of weights and three types of weight scaling (normalized, cluster-normalized and effective), followed by estimation of multilevel models with the multilevel pseudo-maximum likelihood estimation method. Using a Monte Carlo simulation study, we found that the multilevel model provided unbiased estimates of the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT) and its standard error across manipulated conditions and combinations of PS model, PS method, and type of weight scaling. Estimates of between-cluster variances of the ATT were biased, but improved as cluster sizes increased. We provide a step-by-step demonstration of how to combine PS methods and multilevel modeling to estimate treatment effects using multilevel data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K).     

Some personality correlates of using eBay

The use of eBay by 102 American undergraduate students was not associated with competitiveness, locus of control scores, or money attitude scores.     

A Vision for the Future of Community Psychology Education and Training

As we reflect on the founding vision of the field of community psychology in the United States, we assess our progress toward achieving, building upon, and refining this vision. We review early literature regarding the US vision of the field, provide a historical overview of education and training within the field, and provide recommendations to guide and strengthen our approach to education. Our recommendations include the following: 1) serve as a resource to communities, 2) promote a sense of community within our field, 3) diversify students, faculty, and leadership, 4) evaluate our efforts, 5) be current and relevant, 6) enhance the visibility and growth of our field, and 7) create globally minded and innovative CPists. We provide strategies for programs, faculty, linkages between researchers and practitioners, and the Society for Community Research and Action. We conclude that community psychology education and training continues to reflect the early vision; however, we believe we must make more intentional efforts to align with the mission and values of the field, and to engage in a critical analysis of our pedagogy. Enhancing and growing undergraduate and graduate education can facilitate the achievement of our goals to promote social justice, prevent and address social problems, and build community connections to become more effective, impactful, and global social change agents.