Studying Stepfamilies: Four Eras of Family Scholarship

Historically, there have always been stepfamilies, but until the early 1970s, they remained largely unnoticed by social scientists. Research interest in stepfamilies followed shortly after divorce became the primary precursor to stepfamily formation. Because stepfamilies are structurally diverse and much more complex than nuclear families, they have created considerable challenges for both researchers and clinicians. This article examines four eras of stepfamily scholarship, tracing the development of research questions, study designs and methods, and conceptual frameworks from the mid‐1970s to the present and drawing implications for the current state of the field.     

Functionalism,the Brain,and Personal Identity

Philosophical Studies -     

Counterfactual intensity

Counterfactual intensity, the strength with which counterfactuals are experienced, influenced the magnitude of affective and preparative reactions. Intensity influenced reactions when counterfactual numbers were held constant for samples of participants' actual experiences (Study 1) and contributed significantly to responses over counterfactual numbers (Study 2) and reaction times (Study 3) after performing laboratory tasks. This was found when participants spontaneously generated counterfactuals (Study 2), and when participants responded to counterfactual statements (Study 3). As upward counterfactuals became intense, so did greater preparation and worse moods; as downward counterfactuals became intense, so did better moods and lesser preparation. Intense moods also conversely influenced the intensity of counterfactuals (Study 3). Conceptual and methodological implications and possibilities for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variable Perception of White Noise in Ambiguous Phonetic Contexts: The Case of /p/ and /f/

The roles of spectro-temporal coherence, lexical status, and word position in the perception of speech in acoustic signals containing a mixture of speech and nonspeech sounds were investigated. Stimuli consisted of nine (non)words in which either white noise was inserted only into the silent interval preceding and/or following the onset of vocalic transitions ambiguous between /p/ and /f/, or in which white noise overlaid the entire utterance. Ten listeners perceived 85% /f/s when noise was inserted only into the silent interval signaling a stop closure, 47% /f/s when noise overlaid the entire (non)words, and 1% in the control condition that contained no noise. Effects of spectro-temporal coherence seemed to have dominated perceptual outcomes, although the lexical status and position of the critical phoneme also appeared to affect responses. The results are explained more adequately by the theory of Auditory Scene Analysis than by the Motor Theory of Speech Perception.     

Interactive Effects of Exercise Status and Observer Gender on the Impressions Formed of Men

The present study was designed to examine whether men and women differ in the impressions they form of men based on exercise status. Male and female participants (N?=?183) rated a male exercise or control target on both physical and personality variables. Analysis of the physical characteristics revealed a significant condition by gender interaction where male participants rated the control target as significantly less fit (as compared to the exercise target) than did female participants. Analyses also revealed exercise status main effects for both physical and personality characteristics; exercisers were viewed in a more positive light than control targets. The present findings revealed that exercise status might have differential effects on impression formation depending on the gender of the people who are forming the impression.     

Cultural Dysthymia: An Unrecognized Disorder Among African Americans?

Many African Americans experience low‐grade depression, referred to as dysthymia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 2000). After more than 250 years of enslavement, prejudice, and discrimination, dysthymia is reflected in chronic low‐grade sadness, anger, hostility, aggression, self‐hatred, hopelessness, and self‐destructive behaviors. To avoid misdiagnosis, counselors need to understand how cultural factors can elicit a collective psychological condition in an oppressed group. Muchos Afroamericanos experimentan depresión leve, llamada distimia en el Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4a ed., texto rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Después de más de 250 años de esclavitud, prejuicio y discriminación, la distimia se refleja como tristeza crónica leve, ira, hostilidad, agresividad, odio a uno mismo, desesperanza y comportamientos autodestructivos. Para evitar un diagnóstico erróneo, los consejeros deben comprender cómo los factores culturales pueden acarrear una condición psicológica colectiva en un grupo oprimido.     

The support appraisal for work stressors inventory: Construction and initial validation

In order to better understand the role of perceived available support in buffering the negative effects of workplace stressors, a new multidimensional measure of perceived available support, the SAWS, was developed. Initial item development and content validation were conducted, followed by scale evaluation and validation. Two samples of 190 and 170 nursing staff supported the hypothesized structure of the scale, and provided evidence for discriminant validity amongst the sub-constructs of source of support (e.g., support from supervisor) and supportive function (e.g., emotional support). Criterion-related validity of the SAWS constructs were supported by measures of network orientation and relationship closeness. Evidence for predictive validity was provided by examining the moderating effects of the SAWS constructs on the relationship between work-family conflict and adjustment outcomes. The final SAWS inventory assesses three sources of support, and within each source, assesses four distinct supportive functions.     

To coerce and be coerced

Coercion is a way of forcibly influencing others. While one's core conflicts may contribute to an experience of being coerced in any interaction, specific situations or circumstances commonly encountered in clinical practice set the stage for analyst or patient to feel forced or manipulated. The interaction that develops in these instances is conceptualized as a coercive enactment. Conditions that increase the susceptibility to coercing and being coerced may develop at any stage in the psychoanalytic process. Supervision and conversion from psychotherapy to psychoanalysis are examined as situations that predispose to coercion. Silences and other difficulties in maintaining the analytic frame, as well as crises in the life of the analyst, may also lead to coercive enactments. Pertinent literature is reviewed and illustrative clinical cases are presented.