Pooled Peer Ratings,Self-Ratings,and Estimated Ratings of Therapeutic Communication and Popularity: A Relational Analysis

Two studies of therapeutic communication and popularity were conducted in the framework of Dialogic Action Therapy (Ho & Wang, 2009 Ho , D. Y. F. , & Wang , H. L. ( 2009 ). Interpersonal perceptions and metaperceptions in Dialogic Action Therapy: A relational methodological approach to theory construction . Humanistic Psychologist , 37 , 79 – 100 .[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) that accords centrality to the bidirectional nature of interpersonal perceptions. Pooled peer ratings, self-ratings, and estimates of peer ratings were collected from 88 Chinese students in psychology who knew one another well. Self-inflation was operationally defined as the self-rating minus the peer rating, and overestimation as the estimated rating minus the peer rating, for each participant; negative values would be indicative of self-deflation or underestimation. Major results are: (a) Pooled peer ratings have superior validity over self-ratings of therapeutic communication; (b) bias effects (above-average and self-deflation) are found in ratings of popularity; (c) self-inflation and overestimation decrease as pooled peer ratings of therapeutic communication increase and, similarly, self-inflation decreases as pooled peer ratings of popularity increase. These results strengthen the case for a relational methodological approach that includes assessing how one views oneself and others, how one is viewed by others, and discrepancies between perceptions.     

When message tailoring backfires: The role of initial attitudes in affect–cognition matching

This research explores when and how tailoring messages to attitudinal bases backfires. Study 1 demonstrated that for attitudes (toward education subsidies) that were based more on beliefs than emotions, recipients whose initial attitudes were incongruent with the message position (i.e., message opponents) showed mismatching effects, such that the affective message was more persuasive than the cognitive message. Study 2 replicated these mismatching effects among message opponents for attitudes (toward a rival university) that were primarily affective. Study 3 controlled for effects of initial attitude certainty and replicated the mismatching effects of Study 2 for affective attitudes toward an increase in tuition. Finally, Study 4 suggested a potential mechanism for mismatching effects, revealing that for attitudes (toward an online course management system) that were based more on beliefs than emotions, message opponents counter‐argued with the cognitive appeal more intensely than the affective appeal. Contrary to the notion in the extant literature that mismatching effects are relatively rare compared with matching effects, the current research suggests that mismatching effects occur for both primarily affective and cognitive attitudes when the recipient is highly opposed to the message position. The present findings also demonstrate the utility of examining attitudinal bases at the object level in the context of message tailoring. Implications for message tailoring and for affective versus cognitive attitudes are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Entertainment–Education? A Fotonovela? A New Strategy to Improve Depression Literacy and Help‐Seeking Behaviors in At‐Risk Immigrant Latinas

Research shows high risk for depression among immigrant Latinas known to increase during the acculturation process. Several barriers such as stigma and low health literacy result in an under-utilization of needed treatment among these women. In response, this study replicated the effectiveness of a Spanish language fotonovela, a form of Entertainment–Education (E–E), designed to increase depression literacy, decrease stigma, and increase help-seeking knowledge and behavior in Latinos. Specifically, this study evaluated a fotonovela delivered in a multifaceted approach to health education used by promotoras. A pretest–posttest randomized control group experimental design with 142 immigrant Latinas at risk for depression was employed. Results indicate significant posttest improvements in depression knowledge, self-efficacy to identify the need for treatment, and decreased stigma in experimental as compared to control group participants. Findings support the application of E–E health literacy tools such as fotonovelas, delivered in multifaceted approaches to health education used by promotoras, to Latinas at risk for mental health concerns.     

The effects of counsellor gender and problem type on help-seeking attitudes among Turkish high school students

The present study explores gender differences in help-seeking attitudes and the effects of counsellor gender and problem type on those attitudes among Turkish high school students. The Attitudes towards Seeking Help Scale and a survey instrument concerning related factors were administered to 342 adolescents. ANOVAs show that male and female students displayed different help-seeking attitudes. Females held much more positive help-seeking attitudes than did males. For females, neither counsellor gender, problem type nor their interaction affected help-seeking attitudes. By contrast, among males, the interaction of counsellor gender and problem type influenced total help-seeking attitudes as well as two of the subscales – psychological distress and confidence in mental health professionals. Limitations, suggestions for further research and implications are discussed.     

On Iachello's model of cuprate superconductors

A U(3) model proposed by Iachello for superconductivity in cuprate materials is analyzed. The model consists of s and d pairs (approximated as bosons) in a two-dimensional Fermi system with a surface. The transition occurs between a phase in which the system is a condensate of one type of boson, and a phase which is a mixture of two types of bosons. In the current work we have investigated the validity of the Bogoliubov approximation, and we used a reduced Hamiltonian to determine a phase diagram, the symmetry of the phases, and the temperature dependence of the heat capacity.     

Changes in microstructure near the R-phase transformation in Ti50Ni48Fe2 studied by in-situ electron microscopy

Microstructural changes associated with the martensitic transformation from cubic (parent phase) to trigonal (R phase) which occurs with decreasing temperature in Ti₅₀Ni₄₈Fe₂ have been intensively studied by in-situ electron microscopy. Although the parent phase shows a characteristic microstructure with small domains, which are due to lattice modulation as a precursor to the transformation, their temperature dependence is contrasted with that of domains which appear below the transformation temperature in the R phase. The observations convince us that there is an essential difference between the natures of the domains observed in each state, and also reveal the formation of peculiar antiphase-like boundaries within a needle-like variant of the R phase. We also estimate the approximate size of the R phase just after nucleation and compare this with a theoretical consideration on the size of nuclei in martensites.     

Structure images of unaged martensite containing a high carbon content

Abstract

A highly tetragonal (large c/a ratio) martensite in a Fe-4 wt% Al-1·6 wt% Mn-2 wt% Calloy, which is not aged and considered to be as ‘fresh’ as possible, has been observed by high-resolution electron microscope. From the arrangement of atom rows in the [010] structure image and the corresponding electron diffraction pattern, it is concluded that carbon atoms are clustered on the (305) plane. The unit structure of these carbon-clustered regions is similar to that of the modulated structure observed in Fe-C alloys, although a periodic layer distribution of carbon atoms is not observed.     

Electrical conductivity of Nd and Ce co-doped Gd2Zr2O7 ceramics

In this study, (Gd_{1? x} Nd _x )₂(Zr_{1? x} Ce _x )₂O₇ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) ceramics have been prepared by pressureless sintering at 1973 K to investigate the influence of Nd and Ce co-doping on their electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity of the ceramics was investigated by impedance spectroscopy measurements from 723 to 1173 K over the frequency range of 20 Hz to 2 MHz in air. The measured values obey the Arrhenius relation. For each composition, the grain conductivity gradually increases with increasing temperature from 723 to 1173 K. At a given temperature, it gradually decreases with increasing neodymium and cerium contents from x = 0 to 0.3; thereafter, the grain conductivity exhibits a slight increase with further increasing neodymium and cerium contents up to x = 0.5.     

Ab initio investigation of electron-phonon interaction in LaSn3 and CaSn3

ABSTRACT

We present results for the structural, electronic, vibrational, and electron-phonon coupling properties of LaSn₃ and CaSn₃ adopting the simple cubic AuCu₃-type structure obtained using the the generalised gradient approximation of the density functional theory and plane wave ab initio pseudopotential method. Our electronic results show that both materials display metallic character with several bands, which have mainly Sn 5p character, crossing the Fermi level. The calculated phonon spectrum of LaSn₃ accords very well with reported experimental measurements. The weights of the peaks in the Eliashberg spectral function of both compounds are enhanced with the use of experimental lattice constant in our electron-phonon calculation, increasing the value of average electron phonon coupling parameter from 0.876 to 0.937 for LaSn₃ (by 7%) and from 0.642 to 0.725 for CaSn₃ (by 13%). The use of experimental lattice constant also improves the agreement between theoretical and experimental values of the superconducting temperature for both compounds.