Constrained Candecomp/Parafac via the Lasso

The Candecomp/Parafac (CP) model is a well-known tool for summarizing a three-way array by extracting a limited number of components. Unfortunately, in some cases, the model suffers from the so-called degeneracy, that is a solution with diverging and uninterpretable components. To avoid degeneracy, orthogonality constraints are usually applied to one of the component matrices. This solves the problem only from a technical point of view because the existence of orthogonal components underlying the data is not guaranteed. For this purpose, we consider some variants of the CP model where the orthogonality constraints are relaxed either by constraining only a pair, or a subset, of components or by stimulating the CP solution to be possibly orthogonal. We theoretically clarify that only the latter approach, based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and named the CP-Lasso, is helpful in solving the degeneracy problem. The results of the application of CP-Lasso on simulated and real life data show its effectiveness.     

Psychodynamic counselling in a university setting: A space for thinking together over emotional problems

Abstract

The authors describe their experience as psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapists at the Counselling Service for University Students of the Office for Student Affairs, Naples. In this service they have provided, for the last fourteen years, to any student who applies to it, up to four individual sessions, with the possibility of follow-up sessions, should the client ask for them after a few months. Both the procedure and the aims of the interventions are similar to those described by psychotherapists working at the Tavistock Clinic (Copley 1976; Salzberger-Wittenberg 1977) and the Brent Consultation Centre (Hurry 1986; Novick 1987) of London. The technique is an adjustment of the psychoanalytic one and the therapist undertakes a careful listening to the student's verbal and non-verbal communications. The main objective of the intervention is to enter into an alliance with the adult parts of the client in order to examine together his/her personal difficulties. A case report is presented, in order to exemplify both an emotional conflict which can interfere with academic success and the technique of the intervention.     

Psychometric characteristics of the Transgender Identity Survey in an Italian sample: A measure to assess positive and negative feelings towards transgender identity

Transgender people experience systematic oppression due to societal endorsement of binary notions of gender. As a result, they are at risk for self-stigmatization via the internalization of negative attitudes about being transgender. Thus, researchers need instruments to assess the multilayered nature of transgender identity and its role in the experience of mental health and well-being. This study evaluated the psychometric characteristics of the Transgender Identity Survey (TIS) in an Italian sample of 149 transgender people. The TIS assesses levels of pride, shame, alienation, and passing in transgender populations, providing researchers and clinicians with an instrument that can evaluate both positive aspects of transgender identity and internalized transphobia. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the original four-factor model had adequate fit to the data obtained from the Italian sample, with the exception of one item. Both convergent and predictive validity were assessed and partially confirmed, indicating that the TIS is significantly correlated with some of the enacted stigma and mental health outcome measures (perceived stress, depression, and anxiety). This study provides both clinicians and researchers with a tool to assess positive and negative aspects of identity in transgender populations.     

The I and World history in Hegel

In this paper, I investigate the relations between the notion of the I and the conception of World history in Hegel’s philosophy. First, I address Hegel’s account of the I by reconstructing its phenomenological and logical development from consciousness to self-consciousness through recognition with the other and arguing that the project of the Philosophy of Right is normative, as it provides an account of the logical process of affirmation of the I as the normative source of the realm of objective spirit. I then argue for an account of World history as the self-conscious development and liberation of the I in time and objectivity, and I consider Hegel’s philosophy of history in light of the Philosophy of Right as the historical emergence of the I through the forms of objective spirit in history. Finally, I focus on two of the allegedly most problematic issues related to Hegel’s conception of World history: the nature and very possibility of an ‘intersubjective consciousness’ and the notion of ‘World spirit’. I conclude by outlining how the conception of World history, if reconstructed in light of Hegel’s conception of the I, can have previously unnoticed political implications.     

How positive and negative contact relate to attitudes towards Roma: Comparing majority and high‐status minority perspectives

Intergroup contact scholars have recently called for analyzing the effects of negative intergroup contact. In response to this call, we examined the correlates of positive and negative contact with one of the most stigmatized ethnic minorities, that is, Roma. We conducted a study in Bulgaria considering the point of view of the ethnic Bulgarian majority (n = 516) and of Bulgarian Turks (n = 274), an ethnic minority with higher status compared to Roma. Regression analyses showed that positive contact was associated with reduced prejudice and more support for pro‐Roma policies, while negative contact revealed the opposite pattern. These associations did not differ between ethnic Bulgarians and Bulgarian Turks. Moreover, positive and negative intergroup emotions mediated the relationships between positive and negative contact on the one hand and prejudice and policy support on the other. Our study highlights the importance of emotional processes involved in positive and negative intergroup contact experiences and encourages future research to analyze how absolute versus relative status differences shape the effects of positive and negative contact in complex hierarchical societies.     

The Legitimate Name of a Fungal Plant Pathogen and the Ethics of Publication in the Era of Traceability

When more scientists describe independently the same species under different valid Latin names, a case of synonymy occurs. In such a case, the international nomenclature rules stipulate that the first name to appear on a peer-reviewed publication has priority over the others. Based on a recent episode involving priority determination between two competing names of the same fungal plant pathogen, this letter wishes to open a discussion on the ethics of scientific publications and points out the necessity of a correct management of the information provided through personal communications, whose traceability would prevent their fraudulent or accidental manipulation.

     

Direct,extended, and mass‐mediated contact with immigrants in Italy: their associations with emotions,prejudice, and humanity perceptions

Two correlational studies investigated the associations between different forms of intergroup contact, on the one hand, and Italians' prejudice and humanity attributions toward immigrants in Italy, on the other. Study 1 examined the effects of direct contact, extended contact, and parasocial contact through mass‐media, assessing separately contact through TV news and newspapers and contact through entertainment programs. Study 2 analyzed the distinct effects of positive and negative episodes of the contact forms considered in Study 1. Across the studies, we tested the mediational role of intergroup anxiety, empathy, and trust. Overall, results showed the importance of taking into account different forms of contact and considering the emotional processes during contact experiences to understand intergroup attitudes.     

Self‐image and schadenfreude: Pleasure at others' misfortune enhances satisfaction of basic human needs

The present research tested whether observing the failure of another individual and experiencing schadenfreude (i.e., pleasure at others' misfortune) enhance the satisfaction of basic psychological needs in terms of self‐esteem, control, belongingness, and meaningful existence. Considering hypothetical scenarios (Experiments 1 and 4), real‐life experiences (Experiment 2), and ostensibly real interactions (Experiment 3), four experiments revealed that individuals reported higher levels of need satisfaction when another's setback occurred in a competitive circumstance rather than in a non‐competitive circumstance. Moreover, the increased feeling of schadenfreude accounted for the effect of observing the misfortune befalling a competitor on the subsequent satisfaction of human needs. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical implications for research on schadenfreude, and future research directions are outlined.     

The effect of multiple indicators on the power to detect inter‐individual differences in change

Hertzog et al. evaluated the statistical power of linear latent growth curve models (LGCMs) to detect individual differences in change, i.e., variances of latent slopes, as a function of sample size, number of longitudinal measurement occasions, and growth curve reliability. We extend this work by investigating the effect of the number of indicators per measurement occasion on power. We analytically demonstrate that the positive effect of multiple indicators on statistical power is inversely related to the relative magnitude of occasion‐specific latent residual variance and is independent of the specific model that constitutes the observed variables, in particular of other parameters in the LGCM. When designing a study, researchers have to consider trade‐offs of costs and benefits of different design features. We demonstrate how knowledge about power equivalent transformations between indicator measurement designs allows researchers to identify the most cost‐efficient research design for detecting parameters of interest. Finally, we integrate different formal results to exhibit the trade‐off between the number of measurement occasions and number of indicators per occasion for constant power in LGCMs.     

Improving Attitudes Toward Prostate Examinations by Loss-Framed Appeals

One of the main causes of late diagnoses in prostate cancer is the aversive attitude toward prostate examinations. In this study, we analyze the efficacy of an informative pamphlet in changing that attitude. A randomized sample of north Italian men was given different versions of an informative pamphlet, obtained by systematically manipulating the message framing and emotional vividness. After reading the pamphlet, each participant completed an attitude questionnaire. Levels of anxiety and self-reported health status were measured using the STAI-X2 and the SF-36 questionnaires. Results show that loss-framed messages (i.e., messages highlighting the negative consequences of not doing the examinations) had a significant positive effect on attitudes toward the prostate screening, but the effect was rather small.