Sex Differences and Similarities in Video Game Experience,Preferences, and Self-Efficacy: Implications for the Gaming Industry

As computer technology continues to pervade every facet of life, the study of video game playing becomes more relevant. Studies show that sex differences continue to exist between men and women, boys and girls, in video game experience, favoring males. Few studies show any overlap in preferences between young men and women in their video gaming choices. The current study surveyed over 2,000 college undergraduates for video game experience, preferences, and self-efficacy. Although it was found that men play video games more often, have had more experience, and feel more confident in their game playing ability, a moderate female gaming population was found to exist, who also play video games regularly. Almost as many similarities as differences were found between men and women in their gaming preferences. Suggestions and implications for the video game industry are discussed.     

The developmental course of Personal Authority in the Family System

The present study examined the differences in participants' intergenerational family relationships across the following three age/stage groups based on Williamson's (1991) theory of Personal Authority in the Family System (PAFS) and adult developmental theory (Levinson, 1986): ages 18-23, 24-29, and 30-45. The most noteworthy variables were intergenerational intimacy and intimidation with mothers and fathers, with significant but less contribution by intergenerational triangulation with fathers. Results indicated that each successively older group reported significantly less intimacy and less intimidation with each parent, and less triangulation with fathers than the previous younger group. Small gender differences were also present, but without an interaction with age/stage groups. Females reported slightly healthier intergenerational relationships with parents than did males. Finally, implications for clinical practice are presented.     

Development and psychometric properties of the perceptions of parenting inventory

In the present article, the author discusses the development and validation of a new instrument, the Perceptions of Parenting Inventory (POPI), designed to measure the multidimensional construct of perceptions of parenting. The psychometric properties and construct validity of the POPI, a self-administered questionnaire, were examined with two samples: young childless university students (N = 282) and adults from the general community, the majority of whom were parents (N = 252). Within both samples, the POPI subscales evidenced sound factor structure and adequate internal reliabilities and construct validity as determined by its ability to distinguish between individuals with differing attitudes and intentions toward parenting. The POPI appears to be a reliable and valid tool for measuring the perceptions of parenting, regardless of whether these perceptions are based on expectations or experience.     

Achieving visual object constancy across plane rotation and depth rotation.

Visual object constancy is the ability to recognise an object from its image despite variation in the image when the object is viewed from different angles. I describe research which probes the human visual system's ability to achieve object constancy across plane rotation and depth rotation. I focus on the ecologically important case of recognising familiar objects, although the recognition of novel objects is also discussed. Cognitive neuropsychological studies of patients with specific deficits in achieving object constancy are reviewed, in addition to studies which test neurally intact subjects. In certain cases, the recognition of invariant features allows objects to be recognised irrespective of the view depicted, particularly if small, distinctive sets of objects are presented repeatedly. In contrast, in most situations, recognition is sensitive to both the view in-plane and in-depth from which an object is depicted. This result suggests that multiple, view-specific, stored representations of familiar objects are accessed in everyday, entry-level visual recognition, or that transformations such as mental rotation or interpolation are used to transform between retinal images of objects and view-specific, stored representations.     

Identifying Pretreatment Change

In this article the author addresses the possibility of pretreatment change as a viable first intervention for solution-oriented counseling approaches. Using the interview questions and format of Weiner-Davis, de Shazer, and Gingerich (1987), 82 clients were surveyed to ascertain if a change in their problem context had occurred between the time an appointment was made for counseling and the time they come to the first session. The results indicate that most of the clients can identify desirable pretreatment change with the assistance of a counselor. Bateson's (1979) “difference that makes a difference” and client expectancy are posited as explanations for the client's perceiving pretreatment change as significant.     

Establishing appropriate symptomatic control groups for the eating disorders

Two symptomatic control groups for the eating disorders were defined using high and low scores on the Dietary Restraint and Disinhibition scales of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire. Clinical subjects diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia nervosa were compared with these symptomatic control groups using measures of body weight, bulimic symptoms, and anorexic symptoms. In comparison to the high-Restraint/low-Disinhibition group, anorexic subjects scored higher on measures of eating disorder symptoms but not on Restraint and Disinhibition. The high-Restraint/high-Disinhibition group differed from bulimia nervosa subjects on measures of eating disorder symptoms but did not differ on Restraint and Disinhibition. The results suggested that a control group defined by high Restraint and low Disinhibition formed an appropriate control group for anorexia nervosa. For bulimia nervosa, the most appropriate control group was defined by high Restraint and high Disinhibition.     

Biased perception of overeating in bulimia nervosa and compulsive binge eaters

This study investigated the relationship between caloric intake and perceived overeating in subjects with and without a history of problematic binge eating. Eighty subjects (20 in four groups: bulimia nervosa, compulsive binge eaters, obese, and normal controls) self-monitored eating for 2 weeks. The regression slopes for self-reported overeating as a function of caloric intake were contrasted across the four groups. At higher caloric levels, bulimics and binge eaters reported overeating at a significantly higher rate compared to obese and normal control groups. These data were interpreted as a type of cognitive bias whereby subjects with a history of binge eating distorted their perception of overeating at progressively higher caloric levels. It was proposed that excessive concern about eating and dieting may cause such cognitive biases. A parallel was drawn with body image distortion, which appears to be associated with overconcem with body size and shape.     

Does my daughter like math? Relations between parent and child math attitudes and beliefs

As early as age six, girls report higher math anxiety than boys, and children of both genders begin to endorse the stereotype that males are better at math than females. However, very few studies have examined the emergence of math attitudes in childhood, or the role parents may play in their transmission. The present study is the first to investigate the concordance of multiple implicit and explicit math attitudes and beliefs between 6- and 10-year-old children and their parents. Data from implicit association tasks (IATs) reveal that both parents and their children have implicit associations between math and difficulty, but only parents significantly associated math with males. Notably, males (fathers and sons) were more likely than females (mothers and daughters) to identify as someone who likes math (instead of reading), suggesting gender differences in academic preferences emerge early and remain consistent throughout adulthood. Critically, we provide the first evidence that both mothers’ and fathers’ attitudes about math relate to a range of math attitudes and beliefs held by their children, particularly their daughters. Results suggest that girls may be especially sensitive to parental math attitudes and beliefs. Together, data indicate that children entering formal school already show some negative math attitudes and beliefs and that parents’ math attitudes may have a disproportionate impact on young girls.     

The discourse of being ‘triggered’: Uses and meanings among counselling students

Despite the initial understanding of the word ‘triggered’ as relating to the clinical phenomenon of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this language has become a common part of the vernacular today, used by many people to apply to a wide variety of experiences and events. Counselling students are particularly sensitised to trauma, as well as identity politics, and are familiar with trigger warnings at college. They themselves have experienced trauma at high rates. Therefore, we were interested to understand how they might be using the word and interpreting the experience of being ‘triggered’, whether different sources of being triggered are related to emotional reactions, and whether a discourse analysis might indicate how and why the term has become useful and for what other experiences it might be serving as a stand-in. In this mixed-methods study, 79 counselling students from around the country shared their definitions and experiences of being ‘triggered’. Participants completed surveys and wrote narratives, which, via thematic qualitative analysis, were coded into five themes. The quantitative analysis focused on the relationship of feelings to themes and the relationship between anger suppression and coping with each theme. Discourse analysis explored how individuals wrote about responsibility and anger. It was discovered that those who wrote about being triggered from a past sexual assault did not discuss anger, nor the responsibility of others to protect them (as those who wrote about microaggressions did), but positioned themselves as overreactors. Results are discussed with regard to training and practice.     

The Influence of Trauma Symptoms on the Therapeutic Alliance Across Treatment

The authors examined the influence of early phase dissociation, interpersonal problems, and retraumatization on the therapeutic alliance at early, middle, and later treatment phases. Participants were 84 female survivors of child abuse (ages 18 to 60 years, 53.6% Caucasian) who were receiving counseling at a university training clinic. Master’s- and doctoral-level students provided counseling using integrated relationship and trauma-based cognitive behavior therapy. Treatment followed a 3-phase model. The authors used structural equation models to test the hypothesis. In the early and later phases, fewer interpersonal problems significantly predicted a stronger alliance. In the middle phase, fewer interpersonal problems, less dissociation, and more revictimization significantly predicted a stronger alliance. Tasks, goals, and bond contributed significantly to the alliance in each of the 3 phases. Interpersonal problems were consistently the strongest predictor across the 3 phases, whereas tasks consistently made the greatest contribution to the therapeutic alliance across all 3 phases.