Shape constancy and polar perspective

The distortion of polar perspective depends on the depth of the tridimensional shape and on the observation distance. In four experiments using 54 undergraduates as subjects, we found that a compensation process which takes depth and observation distance into account corrects for such distortions. Compensation was demonstrated in experiments in which deceptive information on depth and on observation distance was provided. The result was distortions of the perceived shapes that would be expected if compensation were based on the deceptive information.     

Review Essay: The Divided Church and its Theology

Book reviewed in this article:
Ephraim Radner, The end of the Church: A Pneumatology of Christian Division in the West     

Parallel short forms of the family of origin scale: Evidence of their reliability and validity

Two parallel short forms of the Family of Origin Scale were developed from data provided by 69 women and 63 men who completed the full Family of Origin Scale along with a variety of measures of family-of-origin characteristics. Data on the reliability and validity of the short forms are provided and discussed. The results indicate that both short forms are strongly and significantly correlated with each other and with the full-scale version of the FOS and that they share its reliability and validity characteristics to a very high degree.     

Catching aggression from one's peers: A longitudinal and multilevel analysis

Exposure to peer aggression is a major risk factor for the development of aggressive behavior in childhood and adolescence. Furthermore, peer aggression has the propensity to spread and affect individuals who were not exposed to the original source of aggression. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that peer aggression is in many regards similar to a contagious disease. By presenting a program of research based on longitudinal and multilevel studies, we provide evidence for the contagious quality of aggressive behavior, show that individuals vary in their susceptibility to peer aggression, and describe group‐level characteristics that moderate the influence of peer aggression. We discuss mechanisms that may explain how individuals catch aggressive behavior from their peers and how the effects on the development of individuals' aggressive behavior unfold over time. Further, we examine processes that may increase the risk of being exposed to peers' aggressive behavior. We conclude with discussing implications for future studies on the contagious nature of peer aggression.     

Gender Symmetry and Asymmetry in Violent Relationships: Patterns of Mutuality Among Racially Diverse Women

Three patterns of mutual intimate partner violence (IPV) are proposed, based on frequency and severity: Male primary perpetrator (MPP), female primary perpetrator (FPP), and symmetrical (SYM). Patterns and effects of ethnicity were examined with 445 African American, Euro-American, and Mexican American low-income women experiencing mutual IPV. More relationships were classified as MPP (54%) than SYM (35%) or FPP (11%). Comparing women's and men's perpetration of several types of IPV (e.g., threats, severe physical) indicated MPP-pattern women experienced all IPV types more often and were more likely to sustain injury than their male partners. Fewer gender differences were found in the FPP pattern. Racial/ethnic groups were more similar than different; previously reported differences may be explained by variation in socioeconomic status. The larger part of the study was funded by grant R49/CCR610508 from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, awarded to the third author. This article was also made possible by grant 2001-WT-BX-0504 from the National Institute of Justice awarded to the first and third authors. These agencies are not responsible for the results. Portions of this paper were presented by the first and third authors at the International Family Violence Conference in Portsmouth, NH, July, 2003.     

Patients’ Tests and Clinicians’ Emotions: A Clinical Illustration

Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy - Psychotherapists can experience various kinds of emotions in response to their patients’ communications and behaviors over the course of therapy. These...