Some contributions of a psychological approach to the study of the sacred

ABSTRACT

This paper examines some of the contributions psychology is making to the study of the sacred and its role in human functioning. The focus here is not on the ontological reality of the sacred, but rather perceptions of the sacred. We suggest that psychological theory and research on this topic offers: a clarification of the meaning of the sacred; new knowledge about sanctification – the process through which people come to perceive the sacred in daily life; a response to criticisms about the scientific study of the sacred; a sharper perspective on the meanings of religion and spirituality; a method for measuring sanctification; knowledge about the ways perceptions of the sacred predict important aspects of human behavior, and; an understanding of the sacred as a product of psychological, social, institutional, cultural, and situational forces. We conclude that the sacred represents a vital phenomenon of interest for religious and spiritual study.     

Nicotine and sensory memory in Alzheimer's disease: an event-related potential study

The auditory mismatch negativity (MMN) event-related brain potential (ERP) reflects the storage of information in acoustic sensory memory. Thirteen patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD), 6 receiving treatment with the cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) tacrine (tetrahydroaminoacridine, THA) and 7 receiving no treatment, were administered 2 mg of nicotine polacrilex and placebo. MMNs were recorded with 1- and 3-s interstimulus intervals pre- and postplacebo/nicotine administration. In nontreated patients, amplitudes were decreased from pre- to postplacebo recordings but remained stable in THA-treated patients. Comparison of pre- and postnicotine MMNs found amplitude increases with nicotine in nontreated but not THA-treated patients. MMN latencies were shortened by nicotine in both treatment groups. These exploratory findings suggest that nicotine-improved strength of acoustic sensory memory traces and speed of acoustic sensory discrimination in AD are differentially affected by chronic ChEI treatment.     

Mother and father self-reports of corporal punishment and severe physical aggression toward clinic-referred youth

Examined the extent to which 359 mothers and 140 fathers of clinic-referred youth (ages 2 to 17) reported using corporal punishment and severe physical aggression when asked directly via intake screening questionnaires at a community mental health center; higher prevalence rates emerged compared to families in the general population. Clinic-referred parents reported greater use of corporal punishment for younger relative to older youth, sons relative to daughters, and by single relative to married mothers. In cases with reports from both parents, mothers used corporal punishment more frequently than fathers. Demographic factors were not linked to severe physical aggression, except for mothers' treatment of sons versus daughters. After controlling for demographic factors, maternal and paternal reports of child externalizing behavior accounted for significant variance in their own and their partner's use of corporal punishment, and in mothers' use of severe physical aggression.     

The Road to Hell: Neutralization of Killing in War

We explore how societies convince citizens to “go to hell,” where they kill strangers and risk their own lives. Our premise is that killing is difficult for most, regardless of context and widely considered a form of extreme deviance. Using Sykes and Matza’s techniques of neutralization, we show how this aversion to killing is neutralized by placing individuals in organized—both macro-level bureaucratic and micro-level small primary groups—to justify killing. Consequently, the neutralization of mass killing illustrates the role of power in defining deviance, and the failure of neutralizations may sometimes explain Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.     

The Anticipation of Death by Violence

ABSTRACT: College students (n = 172) completed Cattell's personality factor questionnaire, Rotter's locus of control scale, Speilberger's trait anxiety measure, and Sabatini and Kastenbaum's self-completed death certificate. Comparison of profiles for subjects anticipating sudden violent death (SVD, n = 59) with those anticipating natural death (ND, n = 113) disclosed that the SVD group was characteristically more anxious and socially isolated. A sex-by-type of death interaction occurred for locus of control, with SVD females being the most external, suggesting that this group was more likely to “give up” in response to stress. The data support Shneidman's concept of subintentioned death in disclosing that several personality factors may be associated with violent death.