Ambivalence and Unprotected Sex: Failure to Predict Sexual Activity and Decreased Condom Use1

Using a prospective design, we assessed whether ambivalence toward sexual activity is associated with decreased condom use. Undergraduates predicted whether they would have intercourse and use condoms in the next week. A week later, they reported their sexual and contraceptive behavior. Among 65 individuals who had intercourse and planned to use condoms, ambivalence toward sexual activity was negatively associated with condom use. Moreover, whether intercourse was planned mediated the relationship between ambivalence and condom use, such that ambivalence was negatively associated with accuracy in planning sex, and unplanned sex was less likely to be protected. Individuals who are ambivalent about sex may intend to use condoms, but fail to do so because they cannot predict when they will have intercourse.     

Frequency correlates in grapheme-color synaesthesia

Individuals with synaesthesia experience certain stimuli in more than one sensory modality. Most common is the linkage of letters and digits (graphemes) to colors. Whereas synaesthesia might be partly genetically determined, the linkages to specific colors are assumed to be learned. We present a systematic statistical analysis of synaesthetic color perception based on subjects' reproduction of individual colors for each grapheme, instead of simple verbal categorizations. The statistical analysis revealed that the color perceptions, measured with the HSL (hue, saturation, and luminance) scale, varied systematically among the different digits and letters. The frequencies of the digits and letters (in the German language) partly explained these systematic variations. However, digit frequency was more strongly related to color perception in the synaesthetes than was letter frequency. The results for digit and letter frequency indicate that experience with graphemes may shape synaesthetic color perception.     

Temporal distance and ease of retrieval

Construal Level Theory (CLT; Trope & Liberman, 2003) proposes that pro-arguments (pros) constitute high-level construals and counter-arguments (cons) low-level construals. Therefore, pros are more salient for distant-future actions than are cons and the reverse holds for near-future actions (Eyal, Liberman, Trope, & Walther, 2004). We further predicted and results from one experiment show that participants found it easier to generate pros if an action pertained to the distant rather than the near future. For cons the effect was reversed: participants found it more difficult to generate cons if the action pertained to the distant rather than the near future. Consequently, people were more in favor of the action if it pertained to the distant rather than the near future. Ease of retrieval mediated the effect of temporal distance on attitudes. The mutual relevance of the CLT framework and research on ease of retrieval is discussed.     

Expanding the criterion domain? A quantitative review of the OCB literature

The authors investigate the construct validity of the organizational citizenship behavior (OCB)-task performance distinction by providing a quantitative review of the OCB literature. The authors extend previous meta-analytic reviews of the OCB literature by (a) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to investigate the dimensionality of OCB, (b) using CFA to examine the distinction between OCB and task performance, and (c) examining the relationship between a latent OCB factor and task performance and attitudinal variables. Results support a single factor model of OCB that is distinct from, albeit strongly related to, task performance. In addition, results show that OCB consistently relates more strongly to attitudes than does task performance and shares a modest amount of variance with attitudinal correlates beyond task performance.     

Comparing acceptance and refusal rates of virtual reality exposure vs. in vivo exposure by patients with specific phobias.

The present survey explored the acceptability of virtual reality (VR) exposure and in vivo exposure in 150 participants suffering from specific phobias. Seventy-six percent chose VR over in vivo exposure, and the refusal rate for in vivo exposure (27%) was higher than the refusal rate for VR exposure (3%). Results suggest that VR exposure could help increase the number of people who seek exposure therapy for phobias.     

Use of virtual reality distraction to reduce claustrophobia symptoms during a mock magnetic resonance imaging brain scan: a case report.

The present case series with two patients explored whether virtual reality (VR) distraction could reduce claustrophobia symptoms during a mock magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan. Two patients who met DSM-IV criteria for specific phobia, situational type (i.e., claustrophobia) reported high levels of anxiety during a mock 10-min MRI procedure with no VR, and asked to terminate the scan early. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either VR or music distraction for their second scan attempt. When immersed in an illusory three-dimensional (3D) virtual world named SnowWorld, patient 1 was able to complete a 10-min mock scan with low anxiety and reported an increase in self-efficacy afterwards. Patient 2 received "music only" distraction during her second scan but was still not able to complete a 10-min scan and asked to terminate her second scan early. These results suggest that immersive VR may prove effective at temporarily reducing claustrophobia symptoms during MRI scans and music may prove less effective.     

On the use of multilevel modeling as an alternative to items analysis in psycholinguistic research

The use of multilevel modeling is presented as an alternative to separate item and subject ANOVAs (F1 x F2) in psycholinguistic research. Multilevel modeling is commonly utilized to model variability arising from the nesting of lower level observations within higher level units (e.g., students within schools, repeated measures within individuals). However, multilevel models can also be used when two random factors are crossed at the same level, rather than nested. The current work illustrates the use of the multilevel model for crossed random effects within the context of a psycholinguistic experimental study, in which both subjects and items are modeled as random effects within the same analysis, thus avoiding some of the problems plaguing current approaches.     

The Measurement of Masculinity and Femininity: Historical Perspective and Implications for Counseling

Masculinity and femininity are both psychological and sociocultural constructs that test developers have attempted to assess for many years. The author examines the history of the measurement of masculinity and femininity from the 1920s through 2000, addresses relevant theory, and considers criticisms of masculinity and femininity measurement as well as the challenges of responding to them. Implications of the use of such measures by counselors, researchers, and counselor educators are discussed.     

Whatever? The effect of social exclusion on adopting persuasive messages

The aversive state of social exclusion can result in a broad range of cognitive deficits. Being unable or unmotivated to process relevant information, we assumed that social exclusion would also affect the success of persuasive attempts. We hypothesized that socially excluded people would adopt attitudes regardless of persuasion quality. In three studies using different manipulations of social exclusion and persuasion, we showed that participants who were socially excluded adopted persuasive messages regardless of argument quality. In contrast, this undifferentiated response was not shown by socially included participants who were more persuaded by high- compared to low-quality arguments. In Study 3, we moreover revealed that this pattern could only be replicated in reliable situations—that is, when the communicator appeared credible. These findings support the assumption that social exclusion can lead to reduced processing of information.     

The Association Between Sense of Humor and Trauma-Related Mental Health Outcomes: Two Exploratory Studies

Two studies (n?=?73, n?=?132) explored the association between sense of humor and trauma-related well-being outcomes. It was found that sense of humor was not associated with reports of posttraumatic growth as measured by the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Self-enhancing humor was positively associated with positive changes as measured by the CiOQ-P. Benign humor styles were associated negatively with emotion regulation difficulties and negative changes (CiOQ-N). Self-defeating humor was associated positively with negative changes, avoidant states, and emotion regulation difficulties. The results suggest that self-enhancing humor could be helpful in order to cope with trauma.