Technological and medical advances: implications for health psychology.

Behavioral telehealth, health informatics, organ and tissue transplantation, and genetics are among the areas that have been affected by advances in technology and medicine. These areas illustrate the opportunities and the challenges that new developments can pose to health psychologists. Each area is discussed with respect to implications for practice, research, public policy, and education and training: recommendations are provided.     

When virtual contact is all you need: Subtle reminders of Facebook preempt social‐contact restoration after exclusion

In the Internet age, people who feel alone can use online social media to restore a sense of social connectedness. In the present experiment, participants were either excluded or included in Cyberball, a virtual ball‐tossing game. Afterwards, a Facebook icon or a control icon (Flash Player) was shown on the margin of a computer screen during a filler task. In the control condition, excluded (vs. included) participants subsequently expressed greater interest in social contact. This response to exclusion was absent after the subtle exposure to the Facebook icon. The effect of icon presentation was moderated by relational Facebook use: The interest in further social contact after exclusion was particularly low in participants who reported employing Facebook to maintain relationships to a greater (vs. lower) extent. In sum, our findings suggest that Facebook can dispense with compensatory affiliation attempts after exclusion, especially in more socially minded Facebook users. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Looking Beyond Linear: A Closer Examination of the Relationship Between Wisdom and Wellbeing

Journal of Happiness Studies - There has been some controversy about the relationship between wisdom and constructs of the well-being complex. Some wisdom researchers argue that the ability to...     

Hopelessness,Depression, Suicidal Ideation,and Clinical Diagnosis of Depression

The relevance of a clinical diagnosis of depression for explaining the discrepant relationships of hopelessness and depression with suicidal ideation was studied. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) were administered to 1,306 (72.8%) patients with at least one DSM-III-R mood disorder and 488 (27.3%) patients without any mood disorders. A multiple regression analysis was conducted, and hopelessness was 1.3 times more important than depression was for explaining suicidal ideation. The interactions of the BDI and BHS with diagnostic group were not significant.     

THE MEANING AND EXPERIENCE OF FEMALE SEXUALITY A Phenomenological Analysis

The influence of medicine, religion, media, and sexual violence in constructing and confining the experience and expression of female sexuality was underscored in this qualitative analysis of the sexual themes experienced in the lives of 10 adult women. Structural and institutional barriers to the development of female sexual health were identified. Areas of central importance to women for experiencing their sexuality included sexual expression, reproduction, body image, and intimate relationships. Both positive and negative themes were identified, emphasizing the importance for women of assuming an active role in the construction of our own sexual paradigms.     

REINVENTING ANALOGUE METHODS FOR RESEARCH WITH WOMEN

This article was prompted by the current popularity and acceptance of analogue methods in gender-related research. The use of analogues in research with women is examined here for both its strengths and limitations. We acknowledge the distinctive advantages of analogue methods in revealing the nature, extent, and potential outcomes of gender bias and stereotyping of all minority status groups. While recognizing that any method can be feminist, we address four major concerns with current applications of analogue research to questions about women and gender. These concerns cover: (a) relevance to the questions asked, (b) attention to the context of women's lives, (c) significance for situational behavior, and (d) applicability to social change. We propose a set of transformations that applies feminist scholarship to reconceptualizing analogues in research related to women and gender.