The Sentencing/Punishment of Federal Environmental/Green Criminal Offenders, 2000–2013

While much has been written about the purpose of environmental sentencing, little research summarizes the actual sentencing of environmental offenders, forcing criminologists to generalize about environmental sentencing patterns. This study helps fill that gap by examining federal environmental sentences across 22 environmental statutes from 2000 through 2013. The analysis examines case distributions and mean sentences received by individuals (N = 420) and corporations (N = 161) across 337 criminal cases. Key findings: few cases go to trial; a handful of corporate cases significantly affect mean fine amounts; compared to earlier studies, fewer individual received sentences that involve incarceration, but those sentences are now longer.     

Relationship of Mental Health and Illness in Substance Abuse Patients

This study examined the latent structure of a number of measures of mental health (MH) and mental illness (MI) in substance use disorder outpatients to determine whether they represent two independent dimensions, as Keyes (2005) found in a community sample. Seven aspects of MI assessed were assessed - optimism, personal meaning, spirituality/religiosity, social support, positive mood, hope, and vitality. MI was assessed with two measures of negative psychological moods/states, a measure of antisociality, and the Addiction Severity Index's recent psychiatric and family-social problem scores. Correlational and exploratory factor analyses revealed that MH and MI appear to reflect two independent, but correlated, constructs. However, optimism and social support had relatively high loadings on both factors. Antisociality and the family-social problem score failed to load significantly on the MI factor. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the existence of two obliquely related, negatively correlated dimensions. Study findings, although generally supporting the independence of MH and MI, suggest that the specific answers to this question may be influenced by the constructs and assessments used to measure them.     

Stimulus equivalence instruction of fraction-decimal relations

Stimulus control technology was applied to the instruction of fraction ratio (e.g., (1/5)) and decimal (e.g., 0.20) relations, with 7 students who demonstrated difficulty in fraction and decimal tasks. The students were trained to match pictorial representations of fractions (B comparison stimuli) to printed counterpart fraction ratios (A sample stimuli), and to match printed decimals (C comparison stimuli) to pictorial representations of counterpart quantities (B sample stimuli). Posttest performance by all participants indicated the emergence of equivalence relations between fractions represented as ratios, decimals, and pictures. Limited generalization of fraction-decimal relations was observed.     

Time Costs for Genetic Counseling in Preconception Carrier Screening with Genome Sequencing

Advances in technology and the promise of personalized health care are driving greater use of genome sequencing (GS) for a variety of clinical scenarios. As health systems consider adopting GS, they need to understand the impact of GS on the organization and cost of care. While research has documented a dramatic decrease in the cost of sequencing and interpreting GS, few studies have examined how GS impacts genetic counseling workloads. This study examined the time needed to provide genetic counseling for GS in the context of preconception carrier screening. Genetic counselors prospectively reported on the time spent in the results disclosure process with 107 study participants who were part of the NextGen study. We found that the median time for results disclosure was 64 min (ranged from 5 to 229 min). Preparation work was the most time-consuming activity. Qualitative data from journal entries, debrief interviews with genetic counselors, and detailed case conference notes provided information on factors influencing time for results disclosure and implications for practice. Results suggest that expanded carrier screening could require significant increases in genetic counseling time, unless we are able to generate new resources to reduce preparation work or develop other strategies such as the creation of new models to deliver this type of service.     

Increased Cognitive Load during Video Game Play Reduces Rape Myth Acceptance and Hostile Sexism after Exposure to Sexualized Female Avatars

The present study investigated how task demand (cognitive load and interactivity) and avatar sexualization in a video game influenced rape myth acceptance (RMA), hostile sexism, and self-objectification. In a between-subjects design, 300 U.S. college students either played or watched someone else play a videogame as either a sexualized or non-sexualized female avatar under high (memorize 7 symbols) or low (memorize 2 symbols) cognitive load. Hypotheses were derived from the limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP) and perspectives on stereotype processing. Results contradicted hypotheses that greater task demands and sexualization would produce greater RMA, hostile sexism, and self-objectification. Instead, we found that sexualization did not affect these variables. Greater cognitive load reduced rape myth acceptance and hostile sexism for those in the sexualized avatar condition, but it did not affect self-objectification. We discuss these results with respect to the LC4MP and suggest that the processing of stereotype-inconsistent information might be the underlying cause of these unexpected findings. These results provide tentative evidence that cognitively demanding video game environments may prompt players to focus on stereotype-inconsistent, rather than stereotype-consistent, social information.     

Does binge eating play a role in the self-regulation of moods?

Self-reported emotional experiences and eating behaviors were studied in college students in an attempt to determine what types of emotional experiences precede and follow binge eating and how specific types of compensatory behaviors modify these experiences. First-year male and female students (N=390) were surveyed for depression, anxiety, health status, life satisfaction, and eating attitudes (EAT-26). Those reporting recurrent binge eating episodes were asked to describe their emotional feelings before and after bingeing and before and after compensatory activities. EAT-26 scores corresponding to scores previously reported for eating disordered patients were found in 9.7% of students. Binge eating was nearly twice as frequent among females (16.4%) as males (8.6%). Among females, positive relationships were found between specific EAT-26 factors scores and both anxiety and depression scores. The emotional antecedents and consequences of binge eating and of compensatory activities were compared in three sub-groups of individuals who reported recurrent bingeing with loss of self-control during binges. The three sub-groups consisted of individuals who reported, 1) bingeing without engaging in compensatory activities, 2) bingeing and compensating by means other than vomiting (fasting, exercising, or use of laxatives or diuretics), and 3) bingeing and compensating by vomiting. Regardless of the type of activity, those individuals who engaged in compensatory activities reported greater negative affect preceding binge episodes than those who did not compensate. In addition, contrary to expectations, negative affect did not decrease, but instead increased significantly, following binge episodes and decreased immediately before and after compensatory activities.     

The perception of available social support is related to reduced cardiovascular reactivity in phase II cardiac rehabilitation patients

Objective  Numerous studies have observed a relationship between social support (SS) and post coronary event survival. Laboratory research suggests one mechanism regulating this relationship may be exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity (CVR). What has not been as well explored is (1) whether the SS-CVR relationship holds up for a heart diseased sample, and (2) whether this relationship is evidenced only in supportive environments or can be found as a function of generalized perception of being socially supported. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of perceived SS and a locally supportive presence to CVR to a speech-induced stressor in post coronary event patients. Method  Forty-one Phase II cardiac rehabilitation patients participated in a research protocol that consisted of BP and HR measurement during two identical affective stress interviews where local support was systematically varied by presence or absence of a friendly small pet dog. Perception of SS was assessed by completion of psychosocial questionnaire packet that included measures of SS, anger expression and pet attachment. Results  Repeated measures ANCOVAs revealed that patients who believed they had greater SS available to them during difficult times exhibited significantly less CVR for MAP (p<.007) and DBP (p<.024). No significant main effects for local support (pet presence) and no interactions between local and perceived support were found. Conclusions  These findings are of interest as they: (a) demonstrate an association between reduced CVR and higher (amounts of) SS in a clinical sample; (b) demonstrate this effect in a sample medicated to dampen CV levels and surges; (c) suggest that perceived amount of SS provides an ameliorative influence on CVR independent of situational support; (d) suggest that for certain conditions pet-models of support may be ineffective at establishing an local support presence.