A confirmatory test of the underlying factor structure of scores on the collective self-esteem scale in two independent samples of Black Americans

In this study, we examined the factor structure of the Collective Self-Esteem Scale (CSES; Luhtanen & Crocker, 1992) across 2 separate samples of Black Americans. The CSES was administered to a sample of Black American adolescents (n = 538) and a community sample of Black American adults (n = 313). Results of confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), however, did not support the original 4-factor model identified by Luhtanen and Crocker (1992) as providing an adequate fit to the data for these samples. Furthermore, an exploratory CFA procedure failed to find a CSES factor structure that could be replicated across the 2 samples of Black Americans. We present and discuss implications of the findings.     

Social Control of Health Behaviors in Marriage1

Married couples (N= 69) reported on their use of social control strategies in attempting to modify each other's health behaviors, as well as their affective and behavioral responses to experiencing health‐related social control. Experiencing more negative social control was associated with the tendency to engage in potentially health‐compromising behaviors, whereas experiencing positive social control was associated with attempts to engage in the desired behavior. Most associations between experiencing social control and the target's behavioral responses could be accounted for, at least partially, by the target's affective responses to the social control attempts. These results suggest that current conceptualizations of the health‐relevance of social control are in need of revision. Implications of these results for social control measurement and theory are discussed.     

Cultural Values,Counseling Stigma,and Intentions to Seek Counseling Among Asian American College Women

The authors explored the extent to which Asian American college women's perceived stigma about counseling mediated the relationship between their adherence to Asian cultural values and intentions to seek counseling. Participants, 201 Asian American college women (age range = 18–24 years), completed measures of Asian cultural values, perceived stigma regarding counseling, and intentions to seek counseling, along with a demographic questionnaire. Asian cultural values were positively correlated with perceived counseling stigma; both Asian cultural values and social stigma were negatively correlated with intentions to seek counseling. The main analysis showed that perceived counseling stigma partially mediated the relationship between participants' Asian cultural values and intentions to seek counseling.     

In Search of Serenity: Religious Struggle Among Patients Hospitalized for Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome

Hospitalization for a sudden cardiac event is a frightening experience, one that is often marked by uncertainty about health status, fear of recurrent cardiac problems, and related existential, religious, and spiritual concerns. Religious struggle, reflecting tension and strain regarding religious and spiritual issues, may arise in response to symptoms of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The present study examined the prevalence and types of religious struggle using the Brief RCOPE, as well as associations between religious struggle, psychological distress, and self-reported sleep habits among 62 patients hospitalized with suspected ACS. Fifty-eight percent of the sample reported some degree of religious struggle. Questioning the power of God was the most frequently endorsed struggle. Those struggling religiously reported significantly more symptoms of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. Non-White participants endorsed greater use of positive religious coping strategies and religious struggle. Results suggest that patients hospitalized for suspected ACS experiencing even low levels of religious struggle might benefit from referral to a hospital chaplain or appropriately trained mental health professional for more detailed religious and spiritual assessment. Practical means of efficiently screening for religious struggle during the often brief hospitalization period for suspected ACS are discussed.     

Satisficing and Motivated Submaximization (in the Philosophy of Religion)

In replying to certain objections to the existence of God, Robert Adams, Bruce Langtry, and Peter van Inwagen assume that God can appropriately choose a suboptimal world, a world less good than some other world God could have chosen. A number of philosophers, such as Michael Slote and Klaas Kraay, claim that these theistic replies are therefore committed to the claim that satisficing can be appropriate. Kraay argues that this commitment is a significant liability. I argue, however, that the relevant defenses of theism are committed to the appropriateness of, not satisficing, but motivated submaximization. When one submaximizes with motivation, one aims at the optimum but accepts the good enough because of a countervailing consideration. When one satisfices, one aims at the good enough and chooses the good enough because it realizes her aim at the good enough. While commitment to the appropriateness of satisficing may be a significant liability, commitment to the appropriateness of motivated submaximization is not.     

The Effects of Single- Versus Multiple-Exemplar Training on Vocal Identification of Artists’ Styles

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of single- versus multiple-exemplar training with several artists’ paintings on graduate students’ stimulus generalization to novel paintings by the same artists. Six graduate students participated in this study. Participants studied decks of cards that depicted images of paintings by six different artists. Multiple-exemplar decks included three exemplars of three artists for a total of nine cards, and single-exemplar decks included single exemplars of three artists for a total of three cards. Participants “tested out” when ready following independent study with each deck and were required to score 100 % correct in order to move on to a generalization probe, during which participants were presented with novel exemplars. Overall, four of six participants performed better on the generalization probe after multiple-exemplar training, though in the case of three participants, only to a slight degree. These modest effects suggest that multiple-exemplar training may facilitate stimulus generalization, but that studying with single exemplars may allow for stimulus generalization as well.