The Severely Impaired Do Profit Most: Differential Effectiveness of a Parent Management Training for Children with Externalizing Behavior Problems in a Natural Setting

We investigated the differential effectiveness of a parent management training program for children with externalizing problem behavior. The parent management training was tested using a within-subject control group design. 270 families with children aged 3–10 years were included and assessments were made at 3 months before treatment, immediately before treatment, immediately after treatment, and at 12 months follow-up. We analyzed data using growth mixture modeling. For attention problems, we obtained a two-subgroup solution. One subgroup started with high initial values indicating more severe impairment, and the other subgroup had low initial values. The more impaired group showed stronger treatment effects. For disruptive behavior problems, our analyses revealed a three-subgroup solution. Two subgroups exhibited high initial levels of disruptive behavior problems and the third subgroup had low initial levels. One of the more impaired groups exhibited a strong decrease in problem behavior during treatment, while the other two groups only showed moderate decreases. For attention problems and disruptive behavior problems, some of the most impaired children gained the most from parent training.     

Elite stigmatization of the unemployed: The association between framing and public attitudes

This paper uses a multi-methods approach to explore the social psychological construction of stigma towards the unemployed. Study 1a uses thematic analysis to explore frames used by political elites in speeches at U.K. national party conferences between 1996 and 2016 (n = 43); in study 1b, we track the usage of these frames in six national newspapers (n = 167,723 articles) over the same period showing an increase in the use of negative frames. Study 1c shows that these are associated with national attitudes towards welfare recipients using the British Social Attitude Survey. We find the ‘Othering’ frame is correlated with negative attitudes towards the unemployed, even when controlling for the unemployment rate. This finding supports the claim that social attitudes are related to frames produced in the political and media spheres. We provide theoretical integration between social representations theory and framing which affords development in both domains.     

Sense of Coherence,Time Perspective and Positive Aging

Recent gerontological research has identified the sense of coherence as a crucial resilience factor which develops over time and evolves from experiences across the life-span. Time perspective is the process by which life experiences are assigned to temporal categories which give coherence to these experiences. In the present study, we tested the salutogenic hypothesis that time perspective reflects a psychological resource that shapes the sense of coherence, and that both are important predictors of positive aging as indicated by subjective well-being and psychological health. We examined 210 individuals (60.5% women) at the mean age of 70.4 years using the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, a questionnaire measuring five time perspective dimensions and a balanced time perspective. We found that (a) two time perspectives—a lack of concentration on the negative past and a high future orientation—predicted the sense of coherence, and that (b) the sense of coherence was a mediator of the time perspective dimensions–positive aging relationship. An exploratory path analytical model fitted our data well. Furthermore, (c) a balanced time perspective was associated with both the sense of coherence and positive aging, disclosing partial mediation of the sense of coherence. With regards to our analytical model, the sense of coherence and—to a lesser degree—time perspective dimensions and a balanced temporal perspective are important correlates of positive aging. In line with recent salutogenic research, our findings suggest that the sense of coherence represents a higher-order concept which pools psychological resource influences on positive aging.     

Discrimination of cello string height: musicianship and sex

The aim was to investigate differences by sex and music expertise in performance of a manual proprioceptive skill. Active left hand finger-movement discrimination for differences in string height was examined in a position similar to cello playing. Men and women who were experienced cellists and nonmusicians made active string depression movements and then made absolute judgments regarding which of five string positions were presented. Although no main effect was significant, analysis yielded a sex x musicianship crossover interaction (F(1,51) = 8.4, p = .006) wherein the female cellists performed better than the female nonmusicians, and the reverse occurred for males. These significant differences in active movement discrimination across sex and musicianship may be important in further understanding focal hand dystonia, a disorder wherein the interaction of sex and expertise is observed as a strong preponderance in experienced male musicians.     

Identity Mediators: Leadership and Identity Construction in Campaign Speeches of American Presidential Candidates' Spouses

We explore the nature and evolution of the role of candidates' spouses in U.S. presidential election campaigns through a lens of social psychological theorizing that sees leadership as emerging from activities of identity construction of leaders and followers. Our discursive analysis examines how aspiring First Lady speeches at party national conventions construct both their husbands and the particular national identity construction most presently politically relevant in a way that strategically aligns the two. Building on previous social identity work on leadership, we show how it is not only the leader or their followers who are active participants in leadership construction but that there may also be a role for “third parties” who link prospective leaders with followers. We propose that, as “entrepreneurs” of identity, leaders may use others as “identity mediators” to co‐construct and mediate both the leader's identity and the identity of those they seek to lead.     

Water clubs in residential care: Is it the water or the club that enhances health and well-being?

Recent research suggests that establishing water clubs in care homes can counteract the dangers of dehydration and enhance residents’ health and well-being. This study provided an experimental test of this idea, and also explored the possibility that it is the social interaction that clubs provide which delivers health-related benefits. Consistent with this hypothesis, the study found no evidence that, on its own, increased focus on water consumption enhanced residents’ health or well-being. However, residents who took part in water clubs showed improved levels of perceived social support, and those who participated in water and control clubs showed beneficial outcomes in terms of the number of General Practitioner calls they required. Consistent with a social identity approach to health and well-being, a mediation analysis also indicated that clubs achieve these positive outcomes by providing social support that helps to build a shared sense of social identity among residents.     

Measuring global bystander intervention and exploring its antecedents for helping refugees

Although the bystander intervention model provides a useful account of how people help others, no previous study has applied it to a global emergency. This research aims to develop a scale for measuring global bystander intervention and investigate its potential antecedents in the Syrian refugee emergency. In Study 1 (N = 80) and Study 2 (N = 205), a 12-item scale was established through a substantive-validity assessment and a confirmatory factor analysis, respectively. Study 3 (N = 601) explored the potential antecedents of the global bystander intervention, employing British and German samples. Results show that the global bystander intervention model worked for both samples, but there were significant between-group differences in terms of the extent to which they notice the emergency, know how to help, show political support, and donate money. Overall, the visibility of the global emergency aftermaths within the context has been deduced as a meaningful driver for between-group differences. This research provides the first empirical evidence on global bystander intervention and it offers timely suggestions to promote support for refugees or other victims of global disasters, especially among those who are distant to the disaster zone.     

Aggressive behavior of adult bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) towards conspecifics

Male and female bank voles reared in different conditions were investigated for their aggressiveness in order to show how social factors modify intermale and interfemale behavior. Singly reared males or females were paired with a tested animal for 10 min. The number of attacks and the accumulative attack times of singly reared males were higher than for females reared in similar conditions. The differences were not, however, statistically significant due to the variation among tested animals. There were significant differences in aggressiveness of females reared in various conditions before the test. Most attacks were observed in females reared with intact males. In this group, the accumulative attack time was significantly higher than that of singly reared, grouped females, or females kept with castrated or castrated-testosterone-treated males. Also, the aggression of males was affected by breeding. Both the number of attacks and the accumulative attack times were elevated in intact males kept with females. Housing of males in groups and castration significantly decreased the number of attacks of these animals. Injection of testosterone increased aggression in castrated males. It is suggested that olfactory signals in bank voles released by males increase aggression in females and the female's signals stimulate male behavior.     

Water clubs in residential care: is it the water or the club that enhances health and well-being?

Recent research suggests that establishing water clubs in care homes can counteract the dangers of dehydration and enhance residents' health and well-being. This study provided an experimental test of this idea, and also explored the possibility that it is the social interaction that clubs provide which delivers health-related benefits. Consistent with this hypothesis, the study found no evidence that, on its own, increased focus on water consumption enhanced residents' health or well-being. However, residents who took part in water clubs showed improved levels of perceived social support, and those who participated in water and control clubs showed beneficial outcomes in terms of the number of General Practitioner calls they required. Consistent with a social identity approach to health and well-being, a mediation analysis also indicated that clubs achieve these positive outcomes by providing social support that helps to build a shared sense of social identity among residents.     

Whether a religious group membership is shared and salient influences perceived similarity,political support,and helping intention toward refugees,but not charitable donation

This research investigates the ways in which (un)shared religious group memberships contribute to individual helping responses through perceived similarity in the context of a refugee emergency. Across three studies (N = 762), we examined religious sub-groups of British people's helping responses to religious subgroups of Syrian refugees, in quasi-experimental and experimental designs. Overall findings suggest that sharing a religious group membership with refugee targets increases perceived similarity, political support, and helping intention, but not charitable donation—regardless of shared group membership being subtle or salient. However, when refugee targets' religious identity is that of a salient unshared group membership, not sharing a religious group membership reduces perceived similarity, political support, and helping intention, among those who are religious—with again charitable donation remaining unchanged. These results provide critical insights into developing more effective and unique strategies to promote and mobilize support for refugees among different groups of potential helpers.