Mentoring Asian and Euro‐American College Women

This study examines differences in the mentoring relationships of Asian American and Euro‐American college women. Findings showed that the groups view mentoring as equally important but that fewer Asians report having a mentor. However, those who have mentors find them to be just as valuable as do their Euro‐American counterparts. Este estudio examina las diferencias en las relaciones de mentoring de mujeres Asiáticas Americanas y Euro‐Americanas colegiales. Las conclusiones mostraron que los grupos ven mentoring como igualmente importante pero que menos Asiáticos informan teniendo un mentor. Sin embargo, los que tienen mentores los encuentran que ser apenas tan valioso como lo hacen sus contrapartes de Euro‐Americanos.     

Special series Subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder: Introduction

An accumulating body of research suggests that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous condition, yet there is not yet a consensus on how best to conceptualize subtypes or dimensions of the disorder. This special series considers theoretical and practical issues pertaining to OCD subtypes. New possibilities for conceptualizing differences among OCD patients are considered, and avenues for treating different presentations of obsessions and compulsions are discussed. Treatment programs continue to be refined and outcome studies continue to demonstrate that tailoring cognitive-behavioral treatment toward specific presentations of OCD (e.g., contamination fears, severe obsessions) represents the future of OCD treatment. The articles in this special series are intended to further efforts to consider ways of better understanding the heterogeneity of OCD.     

Is Television a Health and Safety Hazard? A Cross‐Sectional Analysis of At‐Risk Behavior on Primetime Television1

Twenty‐four top‐rated primetime television shows were observed weekly during 1997 and 1998 (242 episodes). The study examined behaviors of vehicle occupants; violence and risky sex; and use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Findings were compared to studies conducted in the mid‐1980s and 1994. Characters in vehicles were unrestrained 74% of the time in 1998, compared to 73% and 78% in 1994 and 1986, respectively. Violence, risky sex, and substance use were shown in 47%, 29%, and 55%, respectively, of 30‐min intervals observed in 1998. Similar data were recorded in 1994, with some negligible improvements. Results indicated that risky behaviors were rarely followed by punishing consequences, and irresponsible behaviors were modeled on primetime television. The relevance to social modeling and public health is discussed.     

Effects of relationship maintenance on psychological distress and dyadic adjustment among couples coping with lung cancer

OBJECTIVE: Relationship maintenance strategies help to ensure the continuation of valued relationships by keeping them at a certain level of intimacy. This study evaluated how lung cancer patients' and spouses' efforts to maintain their relationships affected their psychological and marital adjustment over time. DESIGN: Psychosocial questionnaires were administered within 1 month of lung cancer treatment initiation (baseline) and 3 and 6 months later to 158 lung cancer patients and their spouses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Study outcomes were global severity index scores on the Brief Symptom Inventory, and total scores on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. RESULTS: Multilevel modeling analyses using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model showed that, regardless of gender or social role (i.e., patient or spouse), individuals who engaged in the strategies of positivity, networks, and shared tasks reported less distress at baseline than other participants. Over time, the effects of providing more assurances and experiencing a partner's increased reliance on social networks differed: patient distress was exacerbated, and spouse distress was alleviated. Couples where both partners engaged in more frequent maintenance behaviors reported greater dyadic adjustment at baseline and over time. CONCLUSION: For couples coping with lung cancer, the initial treatment period may be an important time that sets the tone for future spousal interactions. Engaging in relationship maintenance during this stressful time may help mold more resilient relationships and facilitate adjustment as the disease progresses.     

Emotions,concepts and the indeterminacy of natural kinds

Synthese - A central question for philosophical psychology is which mental faculties form natural kinds. There is hot debate over the kind status of faculties as diverse as consciousness, seeing,...