Validation of Basic Empathy Scale: Exploring a Korean Version

The Basic Empathy Scale was designed to measure the multidimensional aspects of empathetic feelings, such as cognitive and affective empathy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES). The Korean version of BES was administered to a sample of early adolescents aged 12–14 (N = 1524). The result of confirmatory factor analysis showed a two-factor solution with method effects associated with negatively worded items to be the most adequate model. Empathy was positively correlated with the measure of attachment, negatively correlated with the measure of bullying problems, and exhibited satisfactory internal consistency. BES proved to be a reliable assessment tool for empathy in a Korean adolescent sample. Moreover, in line with the previous research, girls were found to score significantly higher in both cognitive and affective empathy than boys.     

IQ stability: the relation between child and young adult intelligence test scores in low-birthweight samples

The stability of IQ from childhood to adulthood in low-birthweight subjects was measured in two independent samples with follow-up intervals of approximately 14 and 9.5 years. In both samples, intelligence was assessed with the WISC at a mean age of 9.5. Twenty-six subjects were retested with the WAIS at a mean age of 23.5, and 78 subjects with the BPP (the Danish Military Draft Board Intelligence Test) at the age of 19.1. Both samples obtained childhood and adult test scores below the expected means. For the Wechsler Verbal, Performance and Full-Scale IQs, the stability quotients were 0.86, 0.86, and 0.89 in the WAIS sample, and the retest correlations for the three IQs with the BPP score were 0.66, 0.65, and 0.74. Thus, the majority of children showed stable patterns of intellectual development from middle childhood to young adulthood.     

Synergistic effects of ethanol and cocaine on brain stimulation reward.

The effects of two widely abused drugs, ethanol and cocaine, were examined alone and in combination on intracranial reward processes. In agreement with previous research, higher doses of both cocaine and ethanol alone produced facilitation of behavior maintained by brain stimulation reward. Low intraperitoneal doses of ethanol and cocaine, which alone did not affect performance, were found to reduce stimulation reward threshold and modestly increase response rate. The enhancement of brain stimulation reward by the combination of ethanol and cocaine suggests that both drugs may produce their rewarding effects through common neuronal substrates and that they may potentiate the abuse of each other.     

Distribution of DSM-II diagnoses in a child psychiatric setting

While DSM-II contains more diagnostic categories related specifically to children than did the earlier DSM-I, clinical utilization studies of the various categories have not been extensive. The present study reports data on the distribution of diagnoses of childhood disorders and analyzes relationships among several diagnostic categories and subject variables. Results indicate that clinicians are using a wide range of DSM-II diagnoses for childhood disorders, including some which were intended for use with adults as well as those which were designed specifically for children. Transient Situational Disorders and Behavior Disorders are assigned almost equally to two-thirds of the sample. Chi-square analyses revealed a relationship between diagnostic categories and subject variables of age and sex. These data suggest that boys, particularly between the ages of 6 and 13, are more frequently than girls categorized as Behavior Disorder, and that the Transient Situational Disorder category is overutilized for adolescents, both male and female.The authors are indebted to James H. Johnson for his valuable contributions in all phases of this study and to Peggy Louro for her assistance in data collection.     

Sex differences in assertive achievement patterns

Observations in mathematics and social studies classrooms were made of 40 sixth-grade children of average and high ability to investigate whether males and females differ in assertive achievement behavior. The prediction of less assertive achievement behavior for females than males was supported only among average-ability children. Particularly in social studies, average-ability females participated less in the classroom than average-ability males and either high-ability males or females. Average-ability females' deficit of assertive behavior became more pronounced as the behavior category increased in degree of assertiveness. High-ability females demonstrated a deficit only in the most assertive behavior category.     

The effect of shopping channel (online vs. offline) on message framing of naturalness

Naturalness is a significant driver of food-related choices. However, there is scarce knowledge of how textual cues could be utilised to enhance the effectiveness of naturalness claims. Drawn from construal level theory, we attempted to examine how different methods of framing naturalness affect consumers in online vs. offline shopping contexts. Study 1 employed a 2 (abstract vs. concrete) × 2 (online vs. offline) experiment with 127 respondents and demonstrated that concrete framing heightens positive attitudes via increased perceived concreteness of the message, especially in offline shopping situations. Study 2 employed a 4 (abstract vs. control vs. concrete without mentioning natural vs. concrete mentioning natural) × 2 (online vs. offline) experiment with 173 respondents and replicated findings from Study 1. Furthermore, Study 2 ruled out alternative explanations of message authenticity, transparency and credibility and indicated that the effect of message framings is truly driven by the congruency between consumers' construal level and message framings. Interestingly, no significant effect of abstractly framed naturalness claims was observed in online shopping situations, contradicting existing studies. This suggests that other psychological mechanisms may interplay and hinder the effectiveness of abstract framing in our study. Taken together, the current research demonstrate that consumers' mental representation varies across shopping platforms and how it affects their evaluation of different methods of message framing.     

The Colored, Eco-Genetic Relationship Map (CEGRM): A Conceptual Approach and Tool for Genetic Counseling Research

The Colored Ecological and Genetic Relational Map (CEGRM) [pronounced see-gram] is a conceptual approach and tool for presenting information about family and nonkin relationships and stories about inherited diseases in a simple, understandable form. It combines information that can be derived from pedigrees, genograms, ecomaps, and social network analysis in a single, or series of, pictorial maps based on colors and shapes. The CEGRM is based on a social systems perspective, particularly emphasizing social exchange and resource theories. The CEGRM should be particularly useful in genetic counseling research with members of suspected cancer-risk families or families with other late-onset inherited diseases. A genetic counseling client comes with a social history and context as well as a genetic one. Client decision-making in terms of reproductive plans, therapeutic intervention, lifestyle behavior and sharing or withholding of genetic information frequently becomes enmeshed with preexisting psycho-social relationships among biological kin, affinal kin (in-laws) and fictive kin (friends who act as family). The CEGRM makes it easier to compare different types of social interactions between the client and his/her significant others and among family members on the same dimensions.     

Working at the social-clinical-community-criminology interface: The GMU Inmate Study

This paper describes our attempt to import social-personality theory and research on moral emotions and moral cognitions to applied problems of crime, substance abuse, and HIV risk behavior. Thus far, in an inmate sample, we have evidence that criminogenic beliefs and proneness to guilt are each predictive of re-offense after release from jail. In addition, we have evidence that jail programs and services may reduce criminogenic beliefs and enhance adaptive feelings of guilt. As our sample size increases, our next step is to test the full mediational model, examining the degree to which programs and services impact post-release desistance via their effect on moral emotions and cognitions. In addition to highlighting some of the key findings from our longitudinal study of jail inmates over the period of incarceration and post-release, we describe the origins and development of this interdisciplinary project, highlighting the challenges and rewards of such endeavors.