A randomized study of the impact of a sensitizing intervention on the child‐rearing attitudes of parents of low birth weight preterm infants

Nordhov, S. M., Kaaresen, P. I., Rønning, J. A., Ulvund, S. E. & Dahl, L. B. (2010). A randomized study of the impact of a sensitizing intervention on the child‐rearing attitudes of parents of low birth weight preterm infants. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 385–391. The background for this study was that nurturant child‐rearing attitudes are associated with positive development in low birth weight (LBW) infants. The objective was to study child‐rearing attitudes and early intervention (EI) in parents of LBW infants from 12–36 months corrected age. LBW infants (BW < 2000 g) were randomized to an intervention (IG) or a control group (CG). The EI consisted of seven in‐hospital sessions prior to discharge, then four home visits. A Child Rearing Practices Report was administered at 12 (mothers only), 24 and 36 months. A total of 146 infants were randomized. The mean BW in IG was 1396 (SD 429) g and 1381 (436) g in CG. The mean GA was 30.2 (3.1) weeks in IG and 29.9 (3.5) weeks in CG. Mothers in IG reported significantly more nurturant child‐rearing attitudes at 12 and 24 months. There was a significant change in restrictive and nurturant attitudes over time. It was concluded that EI may lead to more nurturant child‐rearing attitudes in mothers of preterms.     

Work and Nonwork Perspectives and Trends

This article explores the historical concepts and changing values of work. It explains our current nonwork trend and the implications for work satisfaction: expanded leisure time and the counselor's role.     

Opinions of typical female and male sex-role behavior in Swedish children

The purpose of the study was to measure the opinions of typical female and male sex-role behavior in Swedish children. Sixty-two adults aged 20–30 years participated in a study designed to develop a method for the measuring of these opinions. In the main study, 515 children between the ages of three and twelve participated. The results showed that from the age of three, Swedish children share opinions about typical female and male sex-role behavior with adults to a large extent, and this became more pronounced with increasing age. The study also showed that the reliability of the method used was satisfactory. Factor analyses gave two orthogonal factors identified as a femininity factory and a masculinity factor, indicating that the validity also could be considered satisfactory.     

Career Decision-Making Models: Espoused Theory Versus Theory-in-Use

The author examines the limitations of career decision-making models from a theory-in-action perspective (Argyris, 1976). Research implications are discussed.     

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE THEOLOGY OF INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE: FROM SOTERIOLOGICAL OPENNESS TO HERMENEUTICAL OPENNESS

In this article I will reflect on interreligious dialogue and the tensive relation between openness and identity from a theological perspective. First, I consider the so‐called theology of religions and the threefold soteriological typology of exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism. Second, I address one of the main criticisms of this approach, namely that the soteriological approach amounts to a perversion of the virtue of openness. This critique is articulated especially within particularism, a model which sets out to move beyond the soteriological fixation of the classical theology of religions. Because this relatively new model has not yet been analyzed systematically in the relevant literature, I will analyze some of its main tenets. I focus especially on the way this model sets out to alter the terms of the discussion on the dialogical tension between openness and commitment by claiming that hermeneutical openness should precede soteriological appreciation. Third, I turn to comparative theology as a fertile expression of particularism. Comparative theology presents itself as a genuinely adequate way to understand and appreciate the otherness of the religious other without losing sight of one's own identity. Moreover, comparative theology gives a new twist to the discussion on the dialogical tension between openness and commitment. Whereas the classical theology of religions seems to be actuated by the conviction that it is both possible and necessary to come to a final and definite soteriological appreciation of the religions, comparative theology sees interreligious encounter first and foremost as an ongoing conversational process, which can yield preliminary results only. It is my contention that this marks the nature of real and authentic dialogue.     

A Comparison of Female Professionals' Role Profiles With Occupational Adjustment and Life Satisfaction

This exploratory study on 50 female health professionals examined the impact that multiple roles (work/family) had on occupational adjustment and life satisfaction. Results indicate some evidence that as the number of occupational roles increased, life satisfaction scores tended to decrease; however, as the number of family roles increased, scores on occupational adjustment and life satisfaction scales tended to increase.     

A Guilt-Based Explanation of the Door-in-the-Face Influence Strategy

A new explanation is proposed for the accumulated research findings concerning the door-in-the-face (DITF) influence strategy. The explanation treats successful DITF implementations as based on guilt: Refusal of the first request creates guilt, and compliance with the second request reduces guilt. In addition to explaining the known effects of DITF moderator variables, the explanation is consistent with current theoretical and empirical understandings of the nature of guilt and with extant research findings concerning guilt-based social influence. This explanation also suggests a significant role for a new moderator, the identity of the beneficiary of the requests. A reanalysis of previous meta-analytic findings confirms the importance of that moderator.     

Involvement in four future events as a function of temporal distance

Abstract.— A total of 91 Swedish high-school students, in four groups, estimated their degree of involvement in each of 4 potential future events, which were assumed to occur at 5 alternative points in time within the next 75 years. In addition, estimates were made of the relative importance of the events as well as of their subjective probability and influenceability. Factor analysis revealed two different time-involvement relations: (1) involvement decreasing slowly with increasing temporal distance for the two next decades. and then rapidly approaching zero, and (2) involvement decreasing rapidly for the nearest decades, and then slowly approaching an asymptotic value. Subjects representing the first trend gave consistently higher estimates of event probability. Relative involvement for the events was judged differently by subjects in natural-science and social-science lines of education.