General Issue (G.I.) Strain: Applying Strain Theory to Military Offending

This article explores possible causes of military offending through application of strain theory to a small sample of current U.S. Army personnel. The military provides a unique social environment given the organization and culture of the institution. Criminal behavior of those inside this institution has recently received much media attention, yet has not received much academic attention. Prior research focuses on military-specific crimes and/or the military experiences of current offenders. Through in-depth interviews, measures of strain theory were examined and then applied to reports of offending, ultimately providing insight into strain theory, military offending, and offending in general.     

The state of order in Fe–Al studied by precession electron diffraction

Precession electron diffraction (PED) has been carried out on a fully ordered Fe–40at.%Al solid solution in order to explore its suitability for determining the state of order. The integrated intensity ratio of a superlattice reflection with respect to a fundamental reflection was measured as a function of the sample thickness and the results are well fitted by dynamical simulations. It is proposed that, in addition to conventional X-ray diffraction, PED may provide access to the state of order at microscopic and nanoscopic scales.     

(Post)Enlightened Science

The Tragedy of Technology, by Stephen Hill, London: Pluto Press, 1988, 294 pages, hb £27.50, pb £8.95.     

Knowing me,knowing you: emotion differentiation in oneself is associated with recognition of others’ emotions

ABSTRACT

Previous research has found that individuals vary greatly in emotion differentiation, that is, the extent to which they distinguish between different emotions when reporting on their own feelings. Building on previous work that has shown that emotion differentiation is associated with individual differences in intrapersonal functions, the current study asks whether emotion differentiation is also related to interpersonal skills. Specifically, we examined whether individuals who are high in emotion differentiation would be more accurate in recognising others’ emotional expressions. We report two studies in which we used an established paradigm tapping negative emotion differentiation and several emotion recognition tasks. In Study 1 (N?=?363), we found that individuals high in emotion differentiation were more accurate in recognising others’ emotional facial expressions. Study 2 (N?=?217), replicated this finding using emotion recognition tasks with varying amounts of emotional information. These findings suggest that the knowledge we use to understand our own emotional experience also helps us understand the emotions of others.     

Stressors Arising in Highly Valued Roles and Change in Feeling Close to God Over Time

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to see if exposure to stressful life events changes the way older people feel about their relationship with God. Data from a nationwide, longitudinal study of older adults suggest that older people who encounter stressful life events believe their relationship with God has grown closer over time. There are, however, two important qualifications. First, stressors arising in roles that older people value highly appear to have a greater effect than events that are encountered in roles that are less important. Second, stressors emerging in highly valued roles affect the way older African Americans, but not older Whites, view their relationship with God.     

Lifetime Trauma,Prayer, and Psychological Distress in Late Life

The purpose of this study is to see whether prayer helps older people cope more effectively with the adverse effects of lifetime trauma. Data from a nationwide survey of older adults reveal that the size of the relationship between traumatic events and depressive symptoms is reduced for older people who believe that only God knows when it is best to answer a prayer and when they believe that only God knows the best way to answer it. The findings further reveal that these beliefs about prayer outcomes are especially likely to offset the effects of traumatic events that arose during childhood.     

Assessing the Prayer Lives of Older Whites,Older Blacks,and Older Mexican Americans: A Descriptive Analysis

The purpose of this study was to see whether differences emerge between older Whites, older Blacks, and older Mexican Americans in 12 measures of prayer. These measures assess 4 dimensions of prayer: the social context of prayer, interpersonal aspects of prayer, beliefs about how prayer operates, and the content or focus of prayers. Data from two nationwide surveys of older adults suggest that with respect to all four dimensions, the prayer lives of older Whites appear to be less developed than the prayer lives of older Blacks and older Mexican Americans. In contrast, relatively few differences were found in the prayer lives of older African Americans and older Mexican Americans. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.