“It's the Day-to-Day Living That Matters”: The Meaning and Process of Community in the Lives of a Couple with Significant Psychiatric Disabilities

This study attempts to define and describe the experience and process of community and community participation using a qualitative case study of a couple labeled with significant psychiatric disabilities. Findings indicate that important influences on perceptions and the process of community belonging include (a) the opportunity to personally define the meaning, limitations, and level of care associated with receiving a psychiatric label; (b) a reciprocal, central relationship; and (c) recognized opportunities for intentional participation in and access to meaningful relationships with other community members, including in the role of coworker or colleague.     

Persistent versus Periodic Experiences of Social Victimization: Predictors of Adjustment

This study examined self-reports of social victimization and parent reports of adjustment for a sample followed from fourth through seventh grades. Different patterns of social victimization experiences were identified; of the 153 students (79 girls) with complete data, 24% reported chronic social victimization, 23% reported transient experiences of social victimization, and 53% reported being socially victimized at no more than one time point. We examined whether students who experienced persistent and periodic social victimization were at greater risk for internalizing problems than nonvictims. Persistently victimized children demonstrated continuously elevated levels of internalizing problems. Children who were not originally victimized by social aggression but became victimized with time did not demonstrate higher levels of internalizing problems than did nonvictims. Findings were mixed for those who escaped social victimization during this period. This research was supported by NIMH grants R01 MH63076 and K02 MH073616. We are deeply grateful for the participation of children and families in this study and for the cooperation of a local school system that wishes to go unnamed. We thank Mikal Galperin for her help with recruiting and retaining the sample.     

Attempts to prime intellectual virtues for understanding of science: Failures to inspire intellectual effort

Strategies for effectively communicating scientific findings to the public are an important and growing area of study. Recognizing that some complex subjects require recipients of information to take a more active role in constructing an understanding, we sought to determine whether it was possible to increase subjects’ intellectual effort via “priming” methodologies. In particular, we asked whether subconsciously priming “intellectual virtues” (IVs), such as curiosity, perseverance, patience, and diligence might improve participants’ effort and performance on various cognitive tasks. In the first experiment, we found no significant differences in either effort or understanding between IV-primed and neutrally-primed individuals across two different priming techniques. The second experiment measured the effect of IV-priming on intellectual effort in simpler, shorter-duration puzzles and exploration activities; here, we observed an effect, but given its low strength and short duration, we do not believe that priming of IVs is a promising strategy for science communication.     

Experimental evidence for aggressive antipredator behavior in black skimmers (rynchops niger)

We experimentally studied the aggressive antipredator behavior of black skimmers Rynchops niger nesting in a salt marsh and sandy beach with the use of a live herring gull Larus argentatus. Although there were no significant habitat differences in vegetation cover, distance from the edge of the colony, or nesting density, skimmers nesting in salt marshes were more aggressive toward the herring gull than were those nesting on the beach. Aggression increased during the first three minutes of the test, and decreased slightly thereafter. Aggression levels were highest when the gull moved compared to when it was stationary. Skimmers made few responses when a person was present with the gull, but aggression increased dramatically when only the gull remained. Our results suggest skimmers may engage in more aggressive behavior in defense of their nests than previously thought, particularly when exposed to a predator that actually takes eggs and chicks. Further, we suggest that conclusions about antipredator behavior drawn only from studies of interactions with people may need further amplification. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

It is More than Thought that Counts: the Role of Readiness for Aggression in the Relationship Between Ostracism and Displaced Aggression

Research has shown that ostracism results in aggressive behavior towards the ostracising other, but also causes displaced aggression—aggression directed towards an innocent person. Our study investigated whether displaced aggressive responses to ostracism were increased by three types of aggression proneness (readiness for aggression) based on different mechanisms: emotional-impulsive, habitual-cognitive or personality-immanent. Participants (n = 118) played a Cyberball game in which they were either excluded or included, next prepared a hot sauce sample for another person as an indicator of aggression and completed the Readiness for Interpersonal Aggression Inventory. Results showed that ostracism evoked more aggression in participants with high rather than with low emotional-impulsive readiness for aggression. Only this type of readiness moderated the ostracism-aggression relationship indicating that mostly affective mechanisms induce displaced aggressive responses to exclusion.     

Changes in Late Adolescents and Young Adults’ Attachment,Separation, and Mental Health During Wilderness Therapy

The study explored changes in young adults’ mental health, attachment, and separation from parents during a seven-week wilderness therapy program. Utilizing a longitudinal one-group design, the study examined outcomes of 157 young adults in one wilderness therapy program. From pre to post treatment, participants reported significant improvement in mental health symptoms and interpersonal relationships, as well as increases in the belief that others can be depended upon. Participants reported less resentment and anger towards mothers from pre to post treatment, but an increase in their needs for approval from fathers. The study details a link between young adults’ attachment, independence from parents, and improvement in mental health, suggesting that treatment which targets these links may provide more effective intervention.     

Nonchildhood Sexual Abuse in Mexican American and Mexican College Students

This study aimed to assess and compare sexual abuse (SA) rates in female and male Mexican American college students (N = 514) and 2 samples of Mexican college students (N = 161 and N = 227). Participants responded to the Sexual Experiences Survey Victim Form (SES-SFV). SA prevalence and frequency rates were compared between sample groups for 3 categories of SA: nonchildhood SA (SA-NC, experienced since age 14), SA experienced in the previous 12 months (SA-12M), and lifetime self-labeled SA (SA-LL, any experience identified as abuse or rape by participants). Higher rates of self-reported SA were consistently found for Mexican versus U.S. samples. However, SA incidence was also consistently higher in older individuals and females; more recently experienced SA was reported at lower rates and with greater gender congruence than more distal SA; and variation between Mexican samples was roughly equal to variation between Mexican and U.S. samples. Findings show cross-national variation in SA rates.