Book briefly noted

Introducing Applied Ethics Edited by Brenda Almond, Blackwell, 1995. Pp. 375. ISBN 0–631–19389–8. £45.00 (hbk), £14.99 (pbk).

Environmental Ethics Edited by Robert Elliot, Oxford University Press, 1995. Pp. 255. ISBN 9–19–875144–3. £9.95 (pbk)

Medicine and Moral Reasoning Edited by K.W.M. Fulford, Grant Gillett and Janet Martin Soskice Cambridge University Press, 1994. Pp. 207. ISBN 0–521–45325–9 £37.50 (hbk), £12.95 (pbk).

Enlightenment and Religion. Rational Dissent in Eighteenth‐century Britain Edited by Knud Haakonssen, Cambridge University Press, 1996. Pp. xii + 348. ISBN 0–521–56060–8. £40.00.

Dialettica, Arte e Società: Saggio su Theodor W. Adorno By Giacomo Rinaldi, Quattroventi, Urbino, 1994. Pp. 205. L. 30,000.

Relevance: Communication and Cognition, new revised edition, By Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson, Blackwell, 1995. Pp. 326. ISBN 0–631–19878–4. £15.99.

Autobiographical Reflections By Eric Voegelin (Edited, with Introduction, by Ellis Sandoz), Louisiana State University Press, 1996. Pp. 131. ISBN 0807120766 $10.95.     

Intuition as an Influence on Creative Problem-Solving: The Effects of Intuition,Positive Affect,and Training

Intuition may be a critical component of creative thought. To test this hypothesis, a measure of individual differences in intuition was developed. After completing this measure, 320 undergraduates were asked to work on a domain-relevant creative problem-solving task under conditions where positive and neutral affect were induced and they were exposed to 1 of 3 different types of training. It was found that intuitive people produced more creative problem solutions, but that positive affect and training offset the advantage intuitive people showed in creative problem-solving. The implications of these findings for understanding the nature of intuition, and its role in creative problem-solving, are discussed.     

The Relation Between Mechanical Ability Tests and Verbal and Non-Verbal Intelligence Tests

The present study examined the verbal imitative performance of normal and retarded children at four mental ages (MAs 5, 6, 7, and 8 years). Three dependent measures of imitation were taken: total, mimical, and conceptual. The results indicated that both IQ and mental age were significant factors in imitative performance. Retardates primarily demonstrated mimical imitation at the MA 5 level and conceptual imitation at the MA 7 level, while normals emitted primarily mimical responses at MA7. Retardates and normals differed in total imitation only at MA 5.     

What’s Love Got to Do with It: Relationship Functioning and Mental and Physical Quality of Life Among Pregnant Adolescent Couples

The study objective was to describe relationship adjustment and its association with mental and physical quality of life for young couples expecting a baby. 296 young pregnant couples recruited from urban obstetric clinics reported on relationship strengths (e.g., equity, romantic love, and attractiveness), relationship risks (e.g., attachment, intimate partner violence), external family support, relationship adjustment, and mental and physical quality of life. Using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model we assessed both actor and partner effects of relationship variables on relationship adjustment and quality of life. Sixty-one percent of couples had at least one member with moderate or severe relationship distress. Lower attachment avoidance, lower attachment anxiety, higher relationship equity, lack of intimate partner violence, feelings of love, perceived partner attractiveness, and family support of the relationship related to better relationship adjustment. Associations were fairly consistent across gender. Better relationship adjustment related to more positive mental and physical quality of life for both young women and men. Our results highlight the potential importance of strong relationships on the well-being of expecting parents. Our results suggest that secure attachments, equitable relationships, feelings of love, and a lack of violence may be particularly important in having strong relationships and improved mental and physical health during pregnancy.     

Typological Analysis of MMPI Personality Patterns of Drug Dependent Men

This study replicated Types I and II of Berzins, Ross, English and Haley's (1974) initial typological research with a drug dependent sample. In this research, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles of 447 drug dependent men were submitted to Johnson's (1967) hierarchical clustering procedure. The hierarchical clustering procedure yielded nine small but clinically meaningful personality subtypes. These types were compared to Berzins's (Berzins et al.) profiles and categorized into three diagnostic classes: (a) character disorder, 42% of the sample; (b) neurotic characters, 35% of the sample; and (c) borderline disorder, 23% of the sample. The profiles were discussed with respect to the scale similarity and differences within the diagnostic class. The results were discussed, with implications for treatment and further research efforts with the drug dependent population.     

Arthur Peacocke

Drawing on animal ethological studies, this article considers the possibility of a form of morality existing in animals and its relationship with human morality. Given this capacity, I argue that first we need to reflect more carefully on human sin and evil in evolutionary terms. Second, I question the adequacy of the traditional divide between “moral” and “natural” evil as well as consider the possibility of anthropogenic evil. Third, I suggest that a theological response to nonhuman morality should include discussion of the atonement, but traditional categories prove inadequate. Fourth, drawing on Sergii Bulgakov, I explore the idea of shadow sophia as representing a multivocal theodicy that is capable of holding together a tapestry of different theological responses to evil. Finally, I discuss the redemption of nature in the light of the foregoing discussion.     

Network and mutual support for parents bereaved following the violent deaths of their 12- to 28-year-old children: A longitudinal,prospective analysis

Abstract

Social support provided by bereaved parents' networks was examined in this study. Seven dimensions of support were assessed over time. Of special interest to the investigators were the types and frequency of posttreatment contacts among bereaved parents who participated in an experimental support program. The study compared those who reported high versus low social support and high versus low numbers of network confidants on selected outcome and coping variables. The authors recruited a community-based sample of 171 bereaved mothers and 90 bereaved fathers whose 12- to 28-year-old children had died by accident, suicide, or homicide 4 months previously. Parents were randomly assigned to a 12-week bereavement program or control group. It was expected that intervention group parents would report more social network in involvement and greater satisfaction with support received than control group parents. This hypothesis was only partially supported. Only 20% of the parents who participated in the bereavement program remained in contact after the experimental program ended. Finally, significant differences detected between parents who reported high and low support were minimal and not sustained over time. The number of network confidants did not significantly affect the outcomes examined. However, in general, those with more confidants reported lower symptoms. Additional studies are needed to address these complex issues.     

Under High Perceptual Load,Observers Look but Do Not See

High perceptual load reduces distractor processing and increases inattentional blindness for unexpected stimuli. We reported previously that high perceptual load reduces memory accuracy and impairs eyewitness identification. Here, we used eye tracking to investigate whether memory impairments under load are due to inattentional blindness or a failure to visually inspect stimuli. Seventy‐two participants viewed high or low load versions of a video depicting a theft and identified characters in the video from photographic line‐ups. High perceptual load impaired participants' ability to identify the peripheral character (witness) but not the central character (thief). There was no effect of perceptual load on number of ocular fixations on the witness, time to first fixation or total visit duration. We conclude that memory impairments under load are due to attentional failures rather than differences in visual search behaviour. These findings suggest that high perceptual load scenes may hamper eyewitnesses' ability to encode easily visible stimuli. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.