Exploring Lawyer Misconduct: An Examination of the Self-Regulation Process

Although white-collar professionals are often held in high esteem, sometimes persons in privileged positions engage in misconduct. Unfortunately, very little is known about the correlates associated with professional misconduct and even less is known about the sanctioning process among lawyers who are licensed by state bar associations and therefore subject to the bar rules regulating their professional conduct. We examine 213 complaints filed in one fiscal year with the Florida Bar, alleging attorney misconduct and evaluate the factors that influence whether the complaint continued through, or was discarded at, each stage of the self-regulated grievance process. Using selection models that examine both the staff’s decision to send a case forward to the grievance committee as well as the grievance committee’s recommendation about sanctioning the lawyer, results show that both legal and extra-legal variables are related to these two processes.     

Modules in spatial vision: intrinsic reasons of their functional attributes

Visual modules can be viewed as expressions of a marked analytic attitude in the study of vision. In vision psychology, this attitude is accompanied by hypotheses that characterize how visual modules are thought to operate in perceptual processes. Our thesis here is that there are what we call “intrinsic reasons” for the presence of such hypotheses in a vision theory, that is, reasons of a deductive kind, which are imposed by the partiality of the basic terms (input and output) in the definition of a module, and by peculiar characteristics of those terms. Specifically, we discuss three hypotheses of functional attributes: successive stages in the action of modules, residual indeterminacy of their effects, and the role of prior constraints. For each of the three, we indicate its occurrence in perceptual psychology, explain corresponding intrinsic reasons, and illustrate such reasons with examples.     

Lessons from Freelancing,Lighting Design to Genetic Counseling

Theatrical lighting design and genetic counseling may seem like antipodal career choices. The former was chosen from a belief in the dynamism of the theatrical experience, as well as love of the actual work. As I grew older, the powerful personal experiences of a life encompassing miscarriages, the birth of a child with a genetic disorder, and breast cancer profoundly directed my choice of a new career; one that I also love. Clearly, the day-to-day work is very different. However, people in both professions strive to create a transformative space for their respective public. Rather than being left behind, lessons learned by working as a freelancer have served as a source of inspiration as I have matured into my new career. Three specific strategies, supported by literature on career models, have been paramount. First, keeping an eye on the big picture encourages awareness of where the field of genetics and the genetic counseling job market are headed. That awareness leads to the advocacy necessary to achieve the outcomes genetic counselors want. Second, striving for continual personal growth keeps genetic counselors engaged and personally ready for professional changes. Third, networking provides the connections to make clinical and advocacy efforts successful, in addition to essential social support.     

Evaluating the temporal structure and correlates of daily self-esteem using a trait state error framework (TSE)

This study evaluates the temporal structure of daily self-esteem and the relative contribution of a range of theoretically motivated predictors of daily self-esteem. To assess self-esteem stability, a daily version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (RSE, Rosenberg, 1965) was administered to 278 undergraduates for five consecutive days. These short-term longitudinal data were analysed using the Trait State Error (TSE) modelling framework. The TSE decomposes multi-wave data into three components: (1) a stable trait component, (2) a state component, and (3) an error component. Significant predictors of the trait component of self-esteem observed across five days were: (1) emotional stability, and (2) the congruence between implicit and explicit self-esteem. Significant predictors of the state components of self-esteem were daily positive and negative events. We discuss the implications of these results for future research concerning self-esteem stability.     

Heteronormativity,Disgust Sensitivity,and Hostile Attitudes toward Gay Men: Potential Mechanisms to Maintain Social Hierarchies

Within a social hierarchy based on sexual orientation, heteronormative ideology serves as a social force that maintains dominant group members’ status (e.g., heterosexual men). Disgust may be an emotional reaction to gay men’s violation of heteronormativity (i.e., same-sex sexual behavior) and motivate hostile attitudes toward gay men to promote interpersonal and intergroup boundaries. Based on this theoretical framework, we hypothesized that sexual disgust—compared to pathogen or moral disgust—would be most strongly associated with antigay hostility and would statistically mediate its relationship with heteronormativity. Heterosexual men in the United States (n?=?409) completed an online questionnaire assessing heteronormative ideology, disgust sensitivity, and hostile attitudes toward gay men. Results support the hypotheses and suggest that gay men’s sexual behavior is the most likely elicitor of disgust and antigay hostility, as opposed to a perceived pathogen threat or moral transgression. The findings indicate that heteronormative attitudes and sexual disgust are likely contributors to antigay hostility. Thus, intervention efforts should seek to improve tolerance of same-sex sexual behavior among heterosexual men, which may mitigate emotional reactions and hostile attitudes toward gay men.

     

绿色助推（英文）

我们人类当前的生活方式不是可持续的。提升可持续性的途径之一是发展更绿色的科学技术,另一种补充性途径是改变人们的态度、习惯和行为。在本文中,我们讨论了6种心理技术,其宗旨是推动或助推(nudge)人们做出更环保的选择和行为。这些心理技术涵盖范围非常广泛,有些可以远程使用,如在通知公告中建构沟通信息,有些则涉及对人们的决策情境做出的改变。因此,本综述关乎到各行业从业人员,如市场营销人员、政策制定者、消费者代表等。对于每项心理技术,我们讨论了其认知和(或)情绪的理论性基础。此外,我们探讨了目前文献中存在的空白,并提出了可填补这些空白的未来研究方向。     

Ethics for Mental Health Influencers: MFTs as Public Social Media Personalities

The increase in social media usage contributes to a greater number of Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) using social media to grow their professional outreach and to increase awareness about mental health by engaging with online audiences. Although existing literature has discussed how MFTs can make ethical use of personal social media in and around their therapeutic role, no literature at this time has explored the potential ethical issues faced by MFTs seeking to build public presence on social media as a “mental health influencer.” The present paper intends to provide a definition of mental health influencers (MHIs) and reviews ethical concerns relevant to MFTs acting as MHIs. Particular consideration is given to ethical dilemmas and conflicts-of-interest which may emerge via parasocial relationships developed through social media influencing, as well as how the boundaries and the limitations of an MFT’s professional scope can be tested when presenting as a personable, public figure over digital platforms. A framework for conceptualizing ethical issues for MHI-MFTs is offered, with a selection of prescient issues being examined within the scope of existing ethical standards set forth by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy’s (AAMFT) Code of Ethics. Reflections are offered about what questions and guidelines should be observed by MFTs in order to avoid unethical use of social media as an MHI, followed by a brief discussion about future considerations which should be considered by MHIs.

     

Paper-and-pencil and web-based testing: the measurement invariance of the Big Five personality tests in applied settings

This study investigates the measurement equivalence of a five-factor measure of personality across two groups applying for jobs, who completed the same questionnaire using either a paper-and-pencil (n = 429) or a web online answer format (n = 651). The data were collected using the Big Five Questionnaire-2 (BFQ-2; which is a measure of the Five Factor Model) of personality traits. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis was used to test for the equivalence of factor covariance and mean structures of the BFQ-2. Findings suggested that the Five Factor Model scales have the same measurement unit and origin across applicants using different administration modes. However, latent means were slightly higher for applicants who responded in a web and unproctored condition than for applicants who completed a paper-and-pencil version of the same test. Practical implications for personality assessment are discussed.