Gender differences in visual attention to television form and content

Formal features (i.e., rapid action, dialogue, and animation) and content variables (i.e., violence, theme, and sex of characters) were analyzed as possible determinants of gender differences in children's television viewing. Two studies are reported. In Study 1, 5- and 7-year-old boys' and girls' visual attention was observed during four animated programs representing four combinations of high and low action with high and low violence. Boys' visual attention was greater than girls'. Attention was higher to high violence than to low violence. Boys' attention did not vary across treatments, but girls attended more to programs with low action than with high action. In Study 2, nine earlier laboratory studies, each with an independent sample, were subjected to a secondary analysis. The procedures were similar to Study 1; the samples ranged from 3 to 11 years old. Across experiments, boys attended significantly more than girls. The secondary analysis was designed to identify program form and content variables that might account for gender differences. Most content and form attributes failed to account for the pattern of gender differences in attention across or within studies. There was weak support for the notion that violent content and animation appeals more to boys than girls. Boys' greater visual attention was not associated with greater comprehension relative to girls'. It was proposed that girls focus more on the verbal auditory content of television, and boys focus more on the visual content.     

There is a Road,No Simple Highway: Musings on Rural Community Practice

The article was delivered as an invited address to the 2019 SCRA Biennial. The author, the 2019 recipient of the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Practice in Community Psychology, discusses the application of community psychology practice competencies to rural mental health practice and reviews the challenges faced by rural and remote residents, and the rural idyllic myth. The author shares musings and observations of key lessons learned from mentors and practice across over three decades.     

Paternal influences in non-organic failure to thrive: Implications for psychosocial management

Clinical experience indicates that fathers have a salient influence on the development of non-organic failure to thrive (NOFT) infants and on the feeding and attachment disturbances that often accompany this pediatric condition. As shown in case examples, fathers influence the origins and outcomes of NOFT through their participation in maladaptive patterns of parenting and/or conflicts with the child's mother, which disrupt maternal emotional adjustment and maternal-child interactions. Clinical assessment of paternal influences through interview and observation can help formulate more realistic treatment planning and family-centered interventions for NOFT children.     

REVISING THE SES: A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS TO IMPROVE ASSESSMENT OF SEXUAL AGGRESSION AND VICTIMIZATION

The Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) assesses victimization and perpetration of unwanted sexual experiences (e.g., Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987 ). Revised versions of the SES that resulted from the work of the SES Collaboration are now available. This article reviews weaknesses of the SES that were identified, strengths that were preserved, and methodological considerations in the measurement of unwanted sexual experiences that informed the revisions. The primary changes include: more behavioral specificity; conversion to gender neutrality; full crossing of unwanted acts and coercive tactics; and revised and updated wording for assessing consent, alcohol-related incidents, unwanted acts, and coercive tactics. For illustration, the full text of the revised victimization version and its scoring rules are provided. The article concludes with suggestions for future research. These suggestions aim to involve researchers in a coordinated agenda to develop data that clarify methodological questions and contribute to continued improvement in assessing sexual victimization and perpetration.     

Erratum: Bonus of rebate?: The impact of income framing on spending and saving

Bonus of Rebate?: The Impact of Income Framing on Spending and Saving. By N. Epley, D. Mak and L. C. Idson (Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 213–227, 2006). DOI: 10.1002/bdm.519 The above paper was published with an error in the title. The title should read: Bonus or Rebate?: The Impact of Income Framing on Spending and Saving.