Some new hypotheses on the mediation of loudness judgments 1

A new solution to the problem of relating equal-interval and ratio scales is proposed. It is shown that it is also possible, with the type of theory proposed, to predict results of cross-modality matching experiments.     

Divorce in the Kibbutz: Determinants of emotional adjustment

About two-thirds of a representative sample of kibbutz divorced subjects reached a satisfactory emotional and functioning level of adjustment with a high degree of cooperation between the exspouses by the second postseparation year. This outcome appears to be positively influenced both by a process of habituation and desensitization determined by the continuous physical proximity of the former spouses and by the neutralization of parenting and economic issues as subjects for dispute and litigation.     

Family therapy and social control with incestuous families

The family therapy and social control model describes first the relationship between unplanned change and developmental growth. With many families, the family therapist works to both provoke change and encourage growth. However, some out-of-control families present a level of danger to a family member that outside controls, such as child protective services, must be used. This model clarifies the complementary but independent roles of family therapy and social control in helping out-of-control families. Intervention with incestuous families is presented as illustrative of the model.My thanks to the staff of Child Protective Services, the Juvenile Court, Yuma Police Department, Yuma County Sheriff's Department, Adult Probation Department, and the staff and group members of Yuma County, Arizona Parents United for showing that shared concern about the well-being of children can make a real difference in working with families. My appreciation to William C. Nichols, EdD, Elora Cornille and Dale Brotherton for their helpful suggestions on a earlier version.     

Parental blaming and acquisition of guilt: A developmental task of childhood

Incidents involving the authors' twin 10-year-old daughters illustrate that guilt is well established in normal children of 10. The incidents suggest how the expectation of parental blaming triggers guilt and shame. Guilt and shame are compared. While they may coexist in the 10-year-old, guilt clearly is assuming a dominant position. Mental health professionals have emphasized the psychopathology of guilt and many forget that it is essential for normal socialization in that the guilty person feels a need to repair damage allegedly done. Guilt presumes that at least a primitive mutuality has been established in the person; and mutuality is the hallmark of human maturity. Terms are defined here with some variation from their usage by mental health experts: shame, guilt, blame, and counterblame.     

Once a princess,always a princess: A strategy for therapy with families of rape victims

Reconstitutive interventions for victims of rape involve more than discussion of cognitive and emotional responses to the traumatic events of the rape and the post-traumatic anxiety and depression. Many victims and families of victims are not able to reconstruct a supportive functional system after they have been violated by rape. This paper presents a strategic ritual which can be used with the raped family to facilitate this reorganization and restitution of their integrity.Through the use of a short metaphorical story and symbolic ritual, each individual member and the family as a whole can experience, reexperience, and redecide how they will respond to this traumatic event through open expression of their emotions and responses. Reintegration of their responses and shared life crisis enable them to respond to one another in ways not open to them previously.     

Legal ethics and the use of mental health experts in criminal cases

The ethical norms of attorneys in mental health law practice are guided by regulatory codes, professional standards, constitutional, evidentiary, and procedural laws, and personal moral values. This article addresses the contours of ethical practice for attorneys in their relationship with mental health experts. In particular, it examines the attorney's responsibility to zealously represent their clients and the ethical limits on such advocacy.     

Student recognition of and response to suicidal peers

ABSTRACT: A survey of 1,131 university freshmen revealed that they were able to recognize suicidal behavior in their peers, but were unsure of a helpful response to make to them. A model of self-efficacy, emotional comfort, knowledge of a helpful response, and knowledge of suicidal behavior predicted a student's intention to ask a suicidal peer directly, “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” (R² = .38). Results of the study suggest that suicide prevention programs for adolescents should include educational experiences such as modeling, skill training, and role playing to increase self-efficacy and emotional comfort in affect-laden situations.     

The relationship of gender,sex role,and law-and-order attitudes to nuclear opinions

Australian students' attitudes to nuclear weapons were considered in relation to sex-role identification and political orientations. By including a measure of sex-role orientation, we hoped to clarify earlier confusion surrounding gender as a predictor of nuclear views. Our hypothesis was that men and women with feminine sex-role orientations would display the strongest antinuclear feelings. Also, we predicted that an authoritarian political stance advocating strict law-and-order on the domestic front would predict support for nuclear weapons in international defense. The subjects were 46 male and 62 female first-year university students. The measure of nuclear attitudes was a 23-item inventory (NARQ) which had previously been extensively refined and validated for Australian populations (Jennings & Lawrence, 1986). The BSRI (Bem, 1974) measured sex-role orientation. An Australian law-and-order scale was also developed for this research. Latent trait models for rating data were applied to NARQ and law-and-order scales. The results revealed sex differences on approximately one-third of the nuclear opinion items, with men expressing stronger support for nuclear weapons in every case. Authoritarian law-and-order attitudes likewise predicted support for nuclear weapons in both men and women. A stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that BSRI masculinity and law-and order made separate, statistically significant, contributions to overall variation in nuclear views. These results were considered in relation both to previous research and to practical implications for political behavior.