Effective psychotherapy of chronic schizophrenia

A method has been described to modify psychotherapy attitudinally and technically so that it is helpful with chronic psychotics--patients in a state hospital aftercare clinic. The method usually enables medications to be reduced and sometimes to be discontinued altogether. Two cases have been presented to demonstrate how the various new elements of the treatment method relate to each other, and to the rehabilitative services most chronic psychotics need.     

The Association Between Implicit Racial Bias and Mindfulness in Mental Health Practitioners

The mental health research literature on implicit bias is limited (Boysen, 2009), and little is known about how factors that are associated with self‐perceived multicultural counseling awareness, such as mindfulness, relate to implicit racial bias in practicing mental health professionals. Using a correlational research design, we examined the association between mental health practitioners' implicit bias, self‐perceived multicultural counseling competence, facets of dispositional mindfulness, and mindfulness practices. A total of 137 mental health professionals completed an online questionnaire. Results revealed a negative relationship between the observing component of dispositional mindfulness and the implicit racial preference associating White and “good” words. In addition, results indicated that the frequency of engaging in mindfulness practices negatively predicted implicit racial preference associating White and good. Implications for counselor training, practice, and future research are discussed.     

Eyes on the Prize? Evidence of Diminishing Attention to Experienced and Foregone Outcomes in Repeated Experiential Choice

Recently, there has been increased interest in decisions‐from‐experience (where decision makers learn from observing the outcomes of previous choices), which provide valuable insights into the learning and preference construction processes underlying many daily decisions. Several process models have been developed to capture these processes, and while such models often fit the data well, many assume that the decision maker is a vigilant observer, processing each outcome. In two studies, we provide a critical test of this assumption using eye tracking to record directed visual attention when participants choose repeatedly among two options, each time being shown the outcome for their chosen option and for the foregone option. Consistently, we find that the vigilance assumption is not supported, with decision makers often not attending to outcome information. Moreover, (in)attention to outcomes is predictable, with vigilance decreasing as more choices are made, and being greater for obtained than for foregone outcomes, and when options deliver only gains as opposed to losses or a mixture of gains and losses. Furthermore, we find that this variation in attentional allocation plays a central role in the apparent indecisiveness (inconsistency) in choice, with increased attention to foregone outcomes predicting switches to that option on the next choice. Together, these findings highlight the value of eye tracking in investigations of decisions‐from‐experience, providing novel insight into the cognitive processes underlying them. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inhibitory control and the onset of combustible cigarette,e-cigarette,and hookah use in early adolescence: The moderating role of socioeconomic status

The purpose of the study was to test the moderating influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on the associations between inhibitory control and the onset of combustible cigarette, electronic (e-) cigarette, and hookah use in early adolescence. A total of 407 adolescents self-reported nicotine use, inhibitory control, and SES. The hypothesis that inhibitory control would be significantly associated with nicotine use onset (i.e., combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and hookah) only under the condition of low SES was tested. Direct associations were found for inhibitory control on “ever use” of all three nicotine use variables. A moderating effect was also found whereby low inhibitory control was significantly associated with nicotine use onset when participants were from low, but not high, SES families. Findings illustrate one contextual condition under which inhibitory control is associated with early onset of nicotine use.     

Subjective correlates and consequences of belief in free will

Four studies measured or manipulated beliefs in free will to illuminate how such beliefs are linked to other aspects of personality. Study 1 showed that stronger belief in free will was correlated with more gratitude, greater life satisfaction, lower levels of perceived life stress, a greater sense of self-efficacy, greater perceived meaning in life, higher commitment in relationships, and more willingness to forgive relationship partners. Study 2 showed that the belief in free will was a stronger predictor of life satisfaction, meaning in life, gratitude, and self-efficacy than either locus of control or implicit person theory. Study 3 showed that experimentally manipulating disbelief in free will caused a reduction in the perceived meaningfulness of life. Study 4 found that inducing a stronger belief in free will caused people to set more meaningful goals for themselves. The possible concern that believers in free will simply claim all manner of positive traits was contradicted by predicted null findings with regard to sense of humor, empathy, and self-rated attractiveness. Taken together, the present studies show that the belief in free will is a strong predictor of several positive traits and outcomes.     

Current and past depression as predictors of family functioning: a comparison of men and women in a community sample.

The association between family functioning and parental depression has primarily been studied in samples of women. In particular, very little research exists that examines how parent gender and past diagnoses of depression are related to family functioning. The family relationships of 469 couples from a community sample were examined using self- and partner report measures of the marital relationship and youth report and interviewer-rated measures of the parent-youth relationship. Both currently and formerly depressed men and women were shown to have poorer family functioning than nondepressed and never depressed individuals, respectively. Interactions of gender and depression status indicated that depression and poorer marital functioning were more strongly related for women than for men, but there were few gender differences in the parent-youth relationship. The results highlight the need for further research on men's family functioning and suggest that targeting current depressive symptoms in treatment may not be sufficient to resolve marital and parent-youth difficulties that endure after depressive episodes remit.     

Contributions of Multicultural Counseling to Counselor Competence With Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Clients

This article outlines the contributions of multicultural counseling to 3 areas of counselor competence with lesbian, gay male, and bisexual male and female (LGB) clients: conceptualization of competence, counselor education, and assessment of counselor competence. The authors describe the foundations of multicultural counseling and extend the concepts to counselor competence with LGB clients. Este artículo resume las contribuciones de la consejería multicultural a tres campos de habilidad consejera con clientes homosexuales y hombres y mujeres bisexuales: la conceptualización de la competencia, educación del consejero, y evaluación de competencia para consejería. Los autores describen los fundamentos de la consejería multicultural y extienden estos conceptos a la competencia consejera con clientes homosexuales, lesbianas, y bisexuales.     

Concurrent and 2-year longitudinal relations between executive function and the behavior of 1st and 2nd grade children.

Abstract Concurrent and 2-year longitudinal relations were investigated between two indicators of children's ( n =60; mean age = years 11 months) executive function, inhibitory control and sequencing ability, and behavior problem symptomatology. Dependent measures were parent and teacher reported internalizing and externalizing behavior. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated few significant concurrent associations between either inhibitory control or sequencing ability, and behavior problem symptoms. In contrast, baseline inhibitory control predicted decreased teacher reported externalizing, and parent reported externalizing and internalizing behavior problems over a 2-year period. Baseline sequencing ability also predicted decreased teacher reported externalizing and parent reported internalizing behavior over this same time period. Results suggest that some aspects of executive function in early elementary grade-school children may be more strongly associated with change in behavior over time than concurrent behavior. Implications of these findings for the prevention of behavior problems are discussed.