Effects of Thinking About Reasons and Actions on Intentions to Perform Health Behaviors

This study examined the effects of directed thinking on intention to perform disease-detection and health-promotion behaviors. It was hypothesized that when participants thought about reasons for performing the behavior, they would have stronger intentions to perform health-promotion behaviors than disease-detection behaviors. Alternatively, when participants thought about actions, the difference in intention to perform health-promotion and disease-detection behaviors should not be found. This hypothesis was tested by directing some participants to think of reasons why either a disease-detection or a health-promotion behavior would be beneficial. Other participants were directed to think of as many actions as possible that would make either a health-promotion or disease-detection behavior enjoyable. The results supported the hypothesis.     

The Role of Sexual,Sadistic, and Misogynistic Fantasy in Mass and Serial Killing

A subset of violent criminals fixates on deviant (and often grossly misogynistic) sexual fantasies, or engages in sexually sadistic behavior toward victims. Although the role of psychosexual deviancy is quite common among many notorious serial killers (e.g., Ted Bundy, Gary Ridgway, Dennis Rader), it appears to be a motivating factor for some recent mass killers as well. Evidence indicates that the killer’s psychosexual issues were a motivating factor for mass killers (e.g., George Sodini, Jared Lee Loughner, and Elliot Rodger) in their assault. This article will compare and contrast the role and influence of a deviant sexual/misogynistic fantasy formation process for mass and serial killers.     

At the Heart of the Pregnancy: What Prenatal and Cardiovascular Genetic Counselors Need to Know about Maternal Heart Disease

In the last decade, an increasing number of cardiac conditions have been shown to have a genetic basis. Cardiovascular genetic counseling has emerged as a subspecialty aiming to identify unaffected at-risk individuals. An important sector of this at-risk population also includes expectant mothers, in whom unique clinical challenges may arise. Genetic counselors, especially those in cardiovascular and prenatal settings, have an opportunity to identify and assist women who may benefit from cardiovascular care during pregnancy. This paper provides basic management and genetic evaluation principles for affected women, as well as guidance on identifying those who are at risk. We provide considerations for cardiac surveillance in pregnancy and the post-partum period. Finally, key psychosocial issues that appraise how to best provide support to at risk women as they make informed decisions are discussed. We propose that a team approach including cardiology, maternal fetal medicine, and genetic counseling best serves this patient population. Ongoing questions addressing an evidence based approach to cardiovascular genetic conditions in pregnancy still remain. Thus, well-designed research protocols are essential to mark progress in this area.     

See the Triumph Healing Arts Workshops for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault

Existing research demonstrates the potential value of arts-based interventions for survivors of abuse and other forms of trauma. The See the Triumph Healing Arts Workshops were designed to provide survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault with an opportunity to express themselves and connect with others through arts-based interventions. When appropriate, using the art developed through the workshops to create an art exhibit can be useful for raising awareness and giving voice to survivors in the local community. The preliminary results of the pilot evaluation suggest that the workshops were well-received and allowed participants to experience emotional expression, connection with others, and greater self-awareness.     

Knowing Self Through the Journey: Graduate Students’ Experiences of Self-Knowledge Development

This article explores graduate students’ experiences of a self-knowledge development course that is framed by the Heroic Journey model. Through a consideration of several theorists’ perspectives and through the voices of 13 study participants, this article examines the nature of this self-study experience and its impact on participants’ lives. In light of feminist critiques of the traditional Heroic Journey model, the author pays particular attention to the experiences of women in this course. The author identifies three major findings: First, when the Heroic journey model is understood as a process and not just a theoretical construct, it gains significant power as an inclusive tool for fostering self-knowledge development. Second, self-knowledge development is not solely an individual endeavor. Self-knowledge is socially constructed through interaction with others. Third, self-knowledge development has critical spiritual dimensions, and this deeper level of knowing can lead to significant, long-lasting growth and change.

Reconsidering the Term <Emphasis Type="Italic">Marriage</Emphasis> in Marriage and Family Therapy

This article presents a consideration of whether the term marriage in the title of the marriage and family therapy (MFT) profession continues to reflect the work that MFT professionals do. The authors describe relevant historical and professional identity issues, a rationale for revising the title of the profession (including demographic trends related to marriage and relationships, patterns of clinical practice, and the political context surrounding marriage), and a rationale for maintaining the current title of the profession (including administrative costs, value and ideological differences within the MFT profession, and the importance of a cohesive professional identity). The article concludes with recommended future directions for the profession’s decision makers, researchers, and practitioners.     

Examining Implementation Intentions in an Exercise Intervention: The Effects on Adherence and Self‐Efficacy in a Naturalistic Setting1

Some studies have found positive associations between implementation intentions and exercise, independent of motivational factors. However, most research has not been conducted in actual exercise contexts. In a naturalistic setting, implementation intentions may be associated with self‐efficacy (SE) beliefs. This study examined the effect of implementation intentions on adherence and SE over an 11‐week exercise program. Women (N = 72) were randomly assigned to an experimental (i.e., implementation intention) or a control group, with 52 participants completing the study. Results showed that while adherence decreased over time in both groups, the experimental group had better adherence than did the control group. Scheduling SE was also higher in the experimental group. Implementation intentions may help to maintain adherence and scheduling SE.     

Transactional Leadership Revisited: Self–Other Agreement and Its Consequences

In a field study involving 209 leader–follower dyads, we examined leader–follower agreement regarding perceptions of the leaders' behavior style and follower outcomes of performance, organizational citizenship behavior, affective commitment, and trust in the leader. Using the self–other agreement paradigm, we found that agreement about a leader's style as transactional was positively related to these outcomes, whereas there was no relationship between agreement about a leader's transformational style and any of the outcomes. These findings support our view that a shared interpretation of the leader's transactional behavior is essential for positive follower outcomes, and may also be a necessary precondition for the effective use of transformational leader behavior. Implications for theory and future research are discussed.