Culture as a resource for mental health

This article is based on the author's address at the National Multicultural Conference and Summit III in Los Angeles, California, in January 2003. The author focuses on culture as a resource--a resource for theories that can inform one's understanding of human behavior; a resource for healing, self-help, and positive emotions; a resource for clinical practice; and a resource for mental health and wellness. The author uses a healing story from native culture to describe the essence of his relational worldview and to reframe the professional thinking about culture as one of the greatest assets for healing and mental wellness rather than as a problem to solve.     

Detecting random, partially random, and nonrandom Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent protocols

The ability of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A; J. N. Butcher et al., 1992) validity scales to detect random, partially random, and nonrandom MMPI-A protocols was investigated. Investigations included the Variable Response Inconsistency scale (VRIN), F, several potentially useful new F and VRIN subscales, and formulas F-sub-2 - F-sub-1 and F + F-sub-2 + |F - F-sub-2|. Protocols completed by 150 adolescents at a juvenile court setting, screened for randomness with a matched-pair Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) or Jesness Inventory, were compared with 100 computer-generated, all-random protocols, and with 5 levels of partially random protocols. VRIN was the most effective scale in detecting all-random protocols; however, the optimum cutoff of >or= 75 failed to identify 1/3 of them. Using the new scales, a decision algorithm was described that correctly classified 94%-95% of protocols as interpretable, partially interpretable, or uninterpretable.     

Inhibition of acoustic startle using different mechanoreceptive channels

In this experiment, we investigated the impact of vibrotactile prepulse frequency and intensity on the acoustically elicited startle response in humans. Mechanoreceptive channels differing in their sensitivity to transient stimulation have been identified in the skin. The Pacinian channel is optimally sensitive to vibrations at approximately 300 Hz and is specialized for the detection of stimulus transients, whereas the non-Pacinian I and III channels are optimally sensitive to vibrations at approximately 30 Hz. Vibrotactile prepulses with frequencies of 30 and 300 Hz and intensities of 95 and 130 mV were presented for 50 msec to the dominant hand of college students (N = 31), followed on some trials by a 95-dB broadband acoustic startle stimulus. The 300-Hz prepulses resulted in significantly more pronounced inhibition of startle magnitude, amplitude, and probability, whereas only the 30-Hz prepulses significantly facilitated blink latency. These results support the idea that the inhibition of acoustic startle is determined more by transient than by sustained aspects of vibrotactile prepulse stimuli. This study also demonstrates that different aspects of the startle response differentially reflect stimulus characteristics of the prepulse.     

A locus of control measure as a teaching demonstration

268 students (M age = 20.0 yr., SD = 4.4; 68% women), randomly chosen from psychology classes, completed Rotter's I-E scale and Pettijohn's 1992 locus of control scale for class demonstration. The two sets of scores were similar but examination of reliability and validity indicated the latter was best used as a demonstration.     

Motivation to hide emotion and children's understanding of the distinction between real and apparent emotions

The authors investigated the extent to which children's understanding of the distinction between real and apparent emotions varied according to the motivation to hide emotions. Children, aged 6-7 and 10-11 years, were read stories designed to elicit either prosocial or self-protective motivated display rules and were asked to predict the facial expressions the protagonists would make to hide felt emotions. Children were found to understand the distinction between real and apparent emotions very well, independently of the type of motivation. Contrary to predictions, boys understood this distinction better than did girls when the motivation to hide positive emotions was prosocial. Children perceived neutralization as the most appropriate strategy to hide felt emotions, followed by masking.     

Accounting for Time Preference in Management Decisions: An Application to Invasive Species

Managers of invasive species seek to prevent and mitigate their impact, which vary in the time horizon over which they are realized. Likewise, stakeholders vary in the time horizons they consider relevant. Agricultural impacts might reasonably be considered over two or three decades, although ecologists typically consider environmental impacts over much longer time frames. Although time preference plays a critical role in decision making, it has largely been ignored in multicriteria analyses. In this study, we examine how time has been treated in previous decision analyses of invasive species management, focusing on the differences between multicriteria and economic cost–benefit analyses. We then outline a method for incorporating time preference information into multicriteria decision analyses to ensure that criteria weights remain a faithful representation of the decision maker's preferences. To illustrate how time preference can be elicited for invasive species problems involving both monetary and nonmonetary consequences, we describe a small empirical study we conducted with a small group of experts and managers. By outlining a way to consider time preference information in multicriteria analyses of invasive species management, we hope to facilitate better decision making that is reflective of the decision maker's true preferences. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Not too late: Fortnightly short term dynamic therapy with older people

I describe a short-term dynamic therapy of 12–14 fortnightly sessions developed whilst working in a specialist mental health service for older people. Vignettes are given of this therapy with two women suffering from long histories of depression who experienced considerable benefit. They both showed an impressive capacity to reflect on and hold the therapy in mind during the fortnightly intervals and the longer breaks. To their surprise and relief, they did not become depressed during the period of therapy. They were especially pleased to discover an unexpected resilience. Less intensive frequency of sessions with fortnightly intervals offers the advantage of not encouraging a regression in the transference and, whilst recognising the importance of difficulties in early life, can galvanise adult capacities and resources developed over a long life. Particular influences in this work are discussed in the use of play from Winnicott, as described by Smith, and the importance of reaching hopeful and positive aspects of the personality described by Music.