Sociocultural influences on body dissatisfaction and body change behaviors among Malaysian adolescents

Little research on body dissatisfaction and body change behaviors, and the sociocultural influences on them, has been undertaken in non-Western contexts. The current study investigated these variables and the relationships between them among a sample of 529 Malaysian high school students (103 Malays, 344 Chinese and 82 Indians), who completed a set of measures in classroom settings. Chinese girls were more dissatisfied with their bodies than Chinese boys, but no gender difference was found for Malay and Indian participants. Girls were more likely to engage in behaviors to lose weight, and boys were more likely to engage in behaviors to increase muscle. The influence of sociocultural factors on body dissatisfaction and body change behaviors was limited and varied across both sex and ethnicity. Findings are discussed in relation to Western research, and it is concluded that cultural nuances need to be considered when investigating these phenomena.     

A review of cognitive biases in youth depression: attention,interpretation and memory

Depression is one of the most common mental health problems in childhood and adolescence. Although data consistently show it is associated with self-reported negative cognitive styles, less is known about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Cognitive biases in attention, interpretation and memory represent plausible mechanisms and are known to characterise adult depression. We provide the first structured review of studies investigating the nature and causal role of cognitive biases in youth depression. Key questions are (i) do cognitive biases characterise youth depression? (ii) are cognitive biases a vulnerability factor for youth depression? and (iii) do cognitive biases play a causal role in youth depression? We find consistent evidence for positive associations between attention and interpretation biases and youth depression. Stronger biases in youth with an elevated risk of depression support cognitive-vulnerability models. Preliminary evidence from cognitive bias modification paradigms supports a causal role of attention and interpretation biases in youth depression but these paradigms require testing in clinical samples before they can be considered treatment tools. Studies of memory biases in youth samples have produced mixed findings and none have investigated the causal role of memory bias. We identify numerous areas for future research in this emerging field.     

母子性格匹配、对性格的喜欢程度与青少年期母子沟通

以成都市两所中学632对初一到高三青少年及其母亲为研究对象,分别要求他们报告自己的性格、对对方性格的喜欢程度,同时要求青少年报告母子沟通状况,以考察性格匹配、性格喜好程度与母子沟通的关系。结果显示：性格均外向,情绪均稳定,精神质程度均低的母子性格匹配类型比其他母子性格匹配类型有更好的沟通。这一结果部分支持了吻合度理论。进一步的分析发现,相对于性格匹配,性格喜好程度对母子沟通的预测力更强,而且性格喜好程度在母子性格匹配类型与母子沟通的关系中发挥了完全或部分中介作用     

家庭社会经济地位对初中生阅读成就的影响：阅读动机和阅读活动的中介作用

为探讨阅读动机和阅读活动在家庭社会经济地位与阅读成就关系之间的中介机制,采用问卷法对我国东部某省3所学校468名7～9年级学生进行调查,使用结构方程建模的方法对中介模型进行检验。结果表明：家庭社会经济地位、阅读动机、阅读活动及阅读成就之间呈显著正相关;家庭社会经济地位对阅读成就的直接效应不显著,但可以通过阅读动机和阅读活动的链式中介作用对阅读成就产生间接的影响。     

Pluralism in Education: The display of Islamic affiliation in French and British schools

The expression of Islamic affiliation by Muslim students in French and British schools has been perceived as particularly problematic to the extent that it has become a focal point for public and media attention. The controversies over the wearing of the Islamic headscarf in French and British public schools and the state funding of Islamic schools in Britain are case studies representing a range of issues raised by religious pluralism in education, particularly the display of religious affiliation in public schools. In France the prohibition of the Islamic headscarf in public schools provoked a national controversy in 1989. In Britain the wearing of the Islamic headscarf in public schools resulted in a localized and minor debate but the question of state funding of Islamic schools became a major controversial issue in 1990. The press coverage of the case studies is used as an analytical tool with which to examine the exchange of public information and opinion in the press on this type of religious expression. Over 1,500 press articles on the two case studies were published from 1989 to 1998 by selected French and British national daily newspapers, religious papers and education papers. A quantitative analysis of the articles measures the magnitude of each controversy and its prominence in the press. A qualitative content analysis of the articles examines actual press content and compares the primary issues, prevalent opinions and supporting arguments defining the debates in each case study.     

Home‐based intervention after discharge for Latino families of low‐birth‐weight infants

A home‐based intervention designed for impoverished Latino families of low‐birth‐weight infants was implemented, and the efficacy assessed for infants and mothers. Specially trained public health nurses visited the participants' homes for 4 months for the “short” and 12 months for the “extended” intervention groups. Mothers received support and training in infant care. A third group did not receive the intervention. Assessments were at 4‐ to 6‐month intervals from 1 to 24 months. Although the extended visitation group showed no benefits from the intervention, the short visitation group had higher scores on maternal confidence at one month, and on the Bayley Mental Scores at four months than the group receiving no intervention and extended intervention. The nonvisitation group scored significantly higher than both intervention groups on the HOME scores and on the Mother–Infant Interaction and Feeding scores at three different assessment periods. These data suggest that for poor Latino families home intervention is not beneficial across the board. Instead, efforts should be made to identify families that could benefit from intervention and to tailor the program to the specific needs of Latino families. © 2000 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.     

Galin Tihanov,The Birth and Death of Literary Theory: Regimes of Relevance in Russia and Beyond. Stanford,CA: Stanford University Press, 2019. 258 pages. $60. Hardcover ISBN: 9,780,804,785,228

Studies in East European Thought - This review discusses an important recent book by Galin Tihanov, the George Steiner Professor of Comparative Literature, Queen Mary University of London.     

不同列队呈现方式下反馈对目击证人辨认自信心的影响

采用辨认后反馈范式研究不同队列呈现方式下反馈对目击证人辨认自信心的影响。结果发现：（1）所有辨认者中,反馈组被试自信心显著高于控制组被试的自信心;反馈方式与辨认选择的交互作用显著,辨认选择与列队呈现方式的交互作用显著;（2）积极辨认者中,反馈组被试的自信心显著高于控制组被试的自信心;正确辨认被试的自信心显著高于错误辨认被试的自信心。结果表明：目击辨认中存在辨认后反馈效应;积极辨认者中辨认自信心可以作为辨认准确性的一个参考指标。