Activity, event transactions, and quality of life in older adults

A multidimensional assessment of activity and subjective well-being based on a cognitive model of event causation was tested in a sample of 60 older adults. Activity was conceptualized as involving the occurrence of an event, the presence or absence of a response to that event, and the hedonic tone of the outcome of that transaction. Events were categorized as to whether the environment or the individual initiated them: demands or desires, respectively. Well-being was conceptualized as having two independent components, positive and negative, assessed by positive and negative mood scales and general well-being and quality-of-life scales. Analyses showed that older adults who were responsive to events reported more positive well-being, but high responding was also associated with negative aspects of well-being. Demands interacted with desire responding and outcome; affective outcomes of desired actions were significantly influenced by the occurrence of demand events. Results are interpreted in an expanded model of activity theory.     

THE RELATION BETWEEN SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY: THE CASE FOR COMPLEMENTARITY REVISITED

Abstract. Donald MacKay has suggested that the logical concept of complementarity is needed to relate scientific and theological thinking. According to Ian Barbour, this concept should only be used within, not between, disciplines. This article therefore attempts to clarify that contrast from the standpoint of cognitive process. Thinking in terms of complementarity is explicated within a structuralist-genetic, interactive-constructivist, developmental theory of the neo- and post-Piagetian kind, and its role in religious development is indicated. Adolescents'complementary views on Creation and on the corresponding scientific accounts serve as an illustration. After further analysis of parallel and circular complementarity, it is shown under which conditions complementarity of science and theology can be better justified and may be potentially more fruitful than is apparent from Barbour's or even MacKay's considerations.     

An Evaluation of Arizona's July 1982 Drunk Driving Law: Effects on the City of Phoenix1

In July 1982, Arizona implemented a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) law which mandated severe penalties for DWI convictions. Interrupted time series analyses conducted using data from the city of Phoenix showed an initial estimated reduction of 7.44 vehicular fatalities per month when the law went into effect, which then slowly returned to baseline. In a switching replication, parallel results were found in San Diego for the effect of a similar January 1982 California law. No changes in fatalities corresponding to the implementation of the Arizona or California laws were found in the El Paso comparison series. Time series analyses of DWI-related law enforcement activity in Phoenix showed no change associated with the implementation of the Arizona DWI law. Analyses of newspaper coverage in Phoenix suggested that another substantial decrease in fatalities occurred prior to the implementation of the law, coinciding with the beginning of intense media coverage of the DWI issue.     

Effects of disability and bereavement on the mental health and recovery of older adults

We investigated the role of two major stressors, recent disability and conjugal bereavement, in older adults' self-reports of mental health and recovery from stress. A sample of 246 older adults between the ages of 60-80 was interviewed monthly for 3 months by trained elderly interviewers; Month-10 interview data were also analyzed. Control subjects, who were not experiencing the stressors, were carefully selected from a sample of adults matched on age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Dependent variables were psychological distress and psychological well-being, each with component subscales. The disabled group evidenced significantly lower positive well-being and significantly greater distress than did the other groups. Bereaved subjects demonstrated high levels of depression compared with the disabled subjects, but showed less anxiety. Bereaved subjects showed recovery on several indicators of mental health, but disabled subjects continued to show considerable psychological upset in comparison with the other groups.     

Monotheistic and Spiritual Style Literature in Traditional Medicine’s Resources

The basis for success of Iranian Gnostics, poets and scientists were moral teaching, attention to origin and searching for specific goals in creation of human and creatures as well as finding some of his essence in studying all phenomena regarding the creation of universe by divine attitude. There is no surprise that such relationship was bilateral and according to his promise to those who truly follow him such that he will show the right path of learning to human in order to obtain the secrets of life. This relationship has resulted in growth of famous Iranian scientists such as Rhazes, Ahvazi, Avicenna, Ferdousi and… at the beginning of the second millennium. Thus, goal of this research is to study the style of writing in original resources of traditional medicine. In order to increase the accuracy of this study, an electronic database version of traditional medicine resources has been prepared. Writing style of Alhavi book (by Rhazes), Kamel-al-Sanaah (by Ahvazi), Canon of Medicine (by Avicenna) and Zakhireye Khwarazmshahi (by Jorjani) was considered. This task was accomplished by searching using related key words such as God, creator, magnificent, omnipotent, transcendent, omniscient and many other similar words and then encoding them. Finally, content analysis of these words was performed. Hundreds of monotheistic words and many small and great texts related to monotheistic literature have been encountered in the literature, and some are mentioned in the following. Rhazes has started some parts of Alhavi by remembering the name of merciful God and saluting his prophets and has mentioned “God” for more than 570 times and the word “God willing” for more than 215 times. Ahvazi has written his book called Kamel-al-Sanaah by using monotheistic literature, so that both volumes of book are started by remembering the name of God and saluting his prophets. In the introduction of first volume of his book, he has acknowledged God due to conferring logic and wisdom to human and has used the word “God” more than 230 times in his book. He has also referred to a famous testimony of Hippocrates and added some more issues in relation to medical ethics. Avicenna has started the Canon of Medicine in five volumes by remembering God and saluting his prophets. When referring to points related to having specific goal in structure of body organs, he immediately has praised God. Jorjani also has followed up the same attitude of three mentioned writers. We have found out that any of the Iranian poets, Gnostics and scientists who have studied nature have reached to the same conclusion from their own point of view, meaning, they all have observed permanent emergence of God in all phenomena of universe. Poets considered the beauties of nature, Gnostics studied mental issues and scientists of natural sciences explored the physiology and anatomy of human body; however, all of them referred to beauty, magnificent, discipline and having goal in creation of universe and all of its phenomena in their books. They have written their valuable books by benefiting monotheistic literature and have published their research results by inference of seeking God and paved the way for next generations. They experienced the usefulness of cumulative effects of spirituality, religion and health on performance and thereby emphasizing the need to incorporate spirituality and religion in teachings curriculums.     

Scham und Familienbeziehungen bei Bulimie

Background

Empirical studies show a relationship between family factors and disturbed eating behavior. Feelings of shame are associated with a higher level of eating disorder symptoms and with family relations perceived as being dysfunctional. Thus shame can be understood as a mediator of the relationship between dysfunctional family relations and eating disorder symptoms.

Material and methods

For 69 female patients, including 55 with bulimia nervosa and 14 with eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) between 14 and 22 years of age, who participated in a comparative study of psychotherapy outcome, eating disorder symptoms (EDI, EDE-Q), general psychiatric symptoms severity (SCL-90R), level of shame (TESE-KJ) and perceived family relations (FB-A) were measured at the beginning of psychotherapy.

Results

The higher the feeling of shame the more dysfunctional the perceived family relationships were and the more the eating disorders and general symptoms severity were reported. Shame was a partial mediator of the relationship between family functionality and symptoms.

Discussion

Feelings of shame could originate in dysfunctional family relationships but could also evoke more negative perceptions of interpersonal relationships. The direction of causality could not be proven in the correlative design; nevertheless, shame contributes to an understanding of the mechanisms between dysfunctional family relationships and eating disorder symptoms.     

Progress with Science and Religion Issues: Critical Questions and Suggestions

Progress with the marriage of science and religion is slowed by “sterile” controversies. Ways toward overcoming them are suggested here. These concern the metaphysical foundations of science and religion (science and spirituality, science and theology) with a specific emphasis on epistemology, ontology, anthropology, aims, methodological procedures, limitations of binary logic, and the use of other types of logic (in particular relational and contextual reasoning). Dialogues between science and religion can have positive practical societal relevance, and therefore need to progress faster. An enlargement of humanity's mental horizons and development—especially of epistemic cognition—seems to be called for in order to secure the future of a global intellectual culture. Suggestions for achieving this are included.     

Effects of Personality and Information Technology on Plagiarism: An Iranian Perspective

Information technology has played a remarkably important role in developing the contemporary educational system. It not only provides easy access to enormous stores of information but also increases students' scientific efficiency. However, the availability of this technology has also led to increased plagiarism. This study attempted to explore how access to Internet technology contributes to plagiarism problems from the perspective of university students in Iran. A qualitative method to semistructured interviews with 20 students suggested important themes: uncertainty avoidance, tendency to use shortcuts to progress, symbolic certification, social learning and modeling of faculty members as mentors, and plagiarism in the name of justice. Survey data from 180 university students suggest that the personality characteristic of conscientiousness had a negative effect on using information technology to commit plagiarism.