Different risk factors are associated with alcohol use versus problematic use in male Pakistani adolescents

Substance abuse is a significant problem in Pakistan (Hussain, 2017), yet, there are few studies of risk factors in this population, particularly in remote areas. Male adolescents (N = 243; M = 16.9 years, SD = 1.3 years) were recruited from schools in Gilgit-Baltistan, and completed questions on demographics, substance use, and psychosocial functioning. As a Muslim country, there are strict prohibitions against alcohol use, yet 44.9% of the sample reported lifetime alcohol use. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Babor, Higgins-Biddle, Saunders, & Monteiro, 2001), was used to quantify level of risk associated with use, and 22.6% of the sample had scores indicating significant risk levels. Logistic regression analyses indicated that lifetime alcohol use was associated with internalising problems (e.g., depression, anxiety), while risky alcohol use was associated with externalising problems (e.g., aggressive and delinquent behaviour). Attention problems were related to both outcomes. Implications for prevention are discussed.     

Religiosity and Determinants of Safe Sex in Iranian Non-Medical Male Students

This study evaluates the safe sex determinants in college students. In the qualitative section, premarital sex, sex with steady girlfriend and religion’s impact were highlighted. In the quantitative part, the relations between the religiosity score and past sexual activity, attitude, norms, and self-efficacy with regard to sexual abstinence were investigated. Students who had a higher religious score were significantly more likely to have high self-efficacy in refusing sex, and their attitudes supported their abstinence. Additionally, these students were more likely never to have had a sexual relationship. Findings suggest that greater religious involvement is a protective factor in high-risk sexual behavior. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Acute exposure to a 50 Hz magnetic field impairs consolidation of spatial memory in rats

This study was planned to evaluate the effect of an exposure to magnetic fields on consolidation and retrieval of hippocampus dependent spatial memory using a water maze. In Experiments 1 and 2, rats were trained in a hidden version (spatial) of water maze task with two blocks of four trials. The retention of spatial memory was evaluated 48 h later. Exposure to a 50 Hz 8 mT, but not 2 mT magnetic fields for 20 min immediately after training impaired retention performance. The same time exposure shortly before retention testing had no effect. In Experiment 3, rats were trained in a cued version of water maze with two blocks of four trials. Exposure to magnetic field at 8 mT for 20 min immediately after training did not impair retention performance. These findings indicate that acute exposure to a 50 Hz magnetic field at 8 mT for short time can impair consolidation of spatial memory.     

Nonparametric item response theory axioms and properties under nonlinearity and their exemplification with knowledge space theory

This paper investigates the dichotomous Mokken nonparametric item response theory (IRT) axioms and properties under incomparabilities among latent trait values and items. Generalized equivalents of the unidimensional nonparametric IRT axioms and properties are formulated for nonlinear (quasi-ordered) person and indicator spaces. It is shown that monotone likelihood ratio (MLR) for the total score variable and nonlinear latent trait implies stochastic ordering (SO) of the total score variable, but may fail to imply SO of the nonlinear latent trait. The reason for this and conditions under which the implication holds are specified, based on a new, simpler proof of the fact that in the unidimensional case MLR implies SO. The approach is applied in knowledge space theory (KST), a combinatorial test theory. This leads to a (tentative) Mokken-type nonparametric axiomatization in the currently parametric theory of knowledge spaces. The nonparametric axiomatization is compared with the assumptions of the parametric basic local independence model which is fundamental in KST. It is concluded that this paper may provide a first step toward a basis for a possible fusion of the two split directions of psychological test theories IRT and KST.     

Whose life is it anyway? Adoption of each other's autobiographical memories by twins

Anecdotal evidence suggests that twins may dispute ownership of autobiographical experiences. We investigated the frequency and characteristics of such disputed memories in comparison to memories with undisputed ownership. In the present study, monozygotic twins (MZ), dizygotic twins (DZ), and siblings were asked to remember disputed and non‐disputed memories. They also dated each memory and provided a rating on the following variables: level of imagery, detail, rehearsal, and importance. Results showed that disputed memories were more common among MZ twins than in DZ twins and siblings. The frequencies of undisputed memories were not different among the three groups. When compared to non‐disputed memories, disputed memories were more likely to come from events experienced during preschool years. We consider disputed memories as instances of false memories, at least partly influenced by social interactional processes, and event characteristics. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Religious Life Under Theocracy: The Case of Iran

The occurrence of the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, followed by a large‐scale “Islamization” of society, resulted in some unique developments with regard to religious life in this country. Over the past two decades, there has been a lively debate among social scientists about the nature of such developments, and over their implications for other Middle Eastern and Islamic societies. Most of the contributions to this debate so far have been limited to the examination of different theoretical possibilities, without strong references to empirical evidence. In the present study, we attempt to address this shortcoming in the existing literature on religious developments in Iran by relying on a rich set of empirical data recently gathered through a large‐scale national survey of values and attitudes in Iran. Through a composite index of religious sentiments, we explored the magnitude and the nature of religious sentiments among groups of different age and gender. Also, we examined changes with regard to religiosity in the period between 1975 and 2001. The outstanding finding is that the establishment of a theocratic regime in Iran has led to the transformation of the nature of faith, marked by a noticeable shift from “organized” to a more “personalized” religion, in which the emphasis is placed on beliefs rather than on practices. Also, among both beliefs and practices, more emphasis is placed on those with a purely individual nature, or with a social nature but organized through civic and nongovernmental bodies, as opposed to those commanded by the government. The article ends with a brief discussion of the implications of such developments for the existing debate among sociologists of religion on secularization and “de‐secularization.” Our findings indicate that any linear perspective on the demise or survival of religion in society will unreasonably brush aside the fact that religion is not merely a social institution, but also a “cultural resource” that individuals may draw upon, depending on their surrounding sociopolitical circumstances and their reading of those circumstances.     

What Are the Main Differences Between Behavioral and Systems Therapy with Couples? A Critical Account

This paper describes the main differences between behavioral and systems therapy with couples. To improve clinical decision making for a given case, the theoretical assumptions of the chosen treatment approach need to be clearly understood. Contrasting the two approaches will assist couple therapists in providing clinical services that better reflect the chosen theoretical framework. This paper reviews the common elements that can be found across models. A case example is presented to demonstrate the use of the therapy's theories and techniques.     

Servant leadership and follower voice: the roles of follower felt responsibility for constructive change and avoidance-approach motivation

Our study contributes to research exploring the differential antecedents of employee promotive and prohibitive voice. We first examined the mediating role of employee felt responsibility for constructive change (FRCC) in the positive relationship between servant leadership and their prohibitive and promotive voice. We then tested the differential moderating effects of employee dispositional avoidance-approach orientation, where the indirect effect of servant leadership on prohibitive voice is weakened for the high avoidance-motivated, and the indirect effect of servant leadership on promotive voice is weakened for the high approach-motivated. To test our hypotheses, multi-source data were collected from 231 supervisor-supervisee dyads working in a range of companies and sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As predicted, employee FRCC mediates the positive relationship between servant leadership and prohibitive voice and these indirect effects are significantly weaker for the high avoidance-motivated. We did not observe the predicted weakening effects of high approach-motivation on the indirect relationship between servant leadership and promotive voice. It seems servant leaders may be less influential for those avoidance-motivated individuals already predisposed to enact prohibitive forms of voice, such as voicing concerns about harmful organizational processes and practices. Implications for social exchange and role theories, and managerial practice, are discussed.