Secondary school professionals' ability to identify depression in adolescents

Adolescent depression represents a growing concern for secondary school personnel. Depression is often related to suicide, which currently ranks as the second leading cause of death in adolescents. Since secondary school personnel should be able to identify characteristics of adolescent depression, the purpose of this study was to assess regular classroom teachers', guidance counselors', and special education teachers' ability to identify characteristics of adolescent depression. Results indicated that counselors possess the greatest knowledge of these characteristics, while regular and special education teachers are somewhat less able to identify them. Results are discussed in terms of training and evaluation issues for teachers.     

Illusory contours: On the efficacy of their need for expression

When an illusory-figure pattern is presented against a physical lightness gradient, the illusory figure’s lightness relative to the surround is often the reverse of the usual effect, a fact that suggests that, rather than the figure’s depending upon illusory lightness, real lightness differences can be utilized in its expression. A second demonstration suggests that the apparent strength of the lightness effect may be greater where there is relatively less physical expression of the contour. Again, the establishment of the contour seems to involve more than merely “capturing” illusory lightness.     

Idiosyncratic exceptions to the probability-matching decision-rule in visual discrimination

Human “Yes-No” signal-detection performance was tested under a modified perceptual-defense procedure. A majority of Ss tended to match the relative frequency with which they gave affirmative responses to the relative frequency at which signals were presented. These Ss thereby replicated the “probability-matching” behavior found in previous signal-detection and discrimination studies. However, in marked contrast to those previous results, another large set of Ss showed a tendency toward preponderant use of one of the two responses (typically, of “No”) rather than toward probability-matching. The evidence failed to suggest that the latter effect was related to a lesser ability to make the requisite sensory discrimination or to response inhibition induced by taboo stimuli.     

False memories of having said the unsaid: on the importance of a prior intention to speak

Previous research found that adults who participated in a mock debate often later reported having made a point that they had not. In an extension of that study, the present research not only replicated that finding but also investigated the possibility that such errors were the result of the subjects having been induced into intending to make the unmade point. Specifically, the present results show that the occurrence of the inducing stimulus probably did produce such intentions and that the stimulus was also important to the production of subsequent memory errors. Finally, it is argued that the latter errors are most parsimoniously understood as being caused by distorted memories of the intentions demonstrated by the former result.     

Race/ethnicity and sexual orientation: intersecting identities

Racial/ethnic minority women who come to identify as lesbian must confront the norms and expectations of both the majority and minority cultures in which they live. This article reports findings from a diverse sample of nearly 450 women and examines the effects of race/ethnicity on sexual identity development in African American, Latina, and White lesbians. African American and Latina respondents differed little in the timing and disclosure of lesbian identity; comparisons between women of color and White women revealed substantial variability. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for practice with lesbians of color.     

Women's Descriptions of Drinking in Bars: Reasons and Risks

Fifty-two women bar drinkers participated infocus group discussions about women's reasons fordrinking, victimization experiences, and behaviors thatinfluence risk for victimization, in bars. The majority of the participants were White (67.3%),one-third were Black (30.8%), and one was NativeAmerican. Qualitative data analytic techniques were usedto assess the content of these discussions. Womendescribed distinct reasons for going to bars and providednumerous accounts of aggression they had witnessed orexperienced associated with this setting. Depictions ofphysical violence ranged from having an object thrown at them or being pushed, to accounts ofrape and attempted murder. These women also describedobservable changes in other women's behavior followingalcohol consumption, and how these behaviors increase risk for victimization in bars. The qualitativefindings are discussed in terms of what they tell usabout women bar drinkers and the insight theyprovide fordesigning future studies and interventions that focus on education and prevention.     

Setting up inpatient behavioral treatment programs: The staff needs assessment

Despite the success that behavior therapy has demonstrated in treating severely mentally ill adults, widespread impact of behavioral treatments on this population has been limited because the staff of many inpatient settings do not routinely utilize these strategies. Surveying staff regarding their perception of programatic and organizational needs is proposed as a valuable first step for selecting behavioral strategies to be introduced in these settings. Goldfried and D'Zurilla (1969) developed a behavioral assessment survey that is especially useful for identifying staff needs vis-à-vis behavioral rehabilitation. Using these strategies, survey questions addressed five problem areas: Administrative, Staff, Patient, Resource, and Programatic. Results using this survey with 40 clinicians on the extended care unit of a state hospital showed that staff members had greatest concern with the Patient Problem Area (i.e., aversive patient behaviors that are not sufficiently addressed by treatment plans). Further analyses showed staff members were interested in addressing Patient concerns using incentive procedures. The needs assessment in this study not only provided useful information that might be generalized to other treatment settings, but also showcased a reliable survey approach that program developers might implement prior to designing training curricula for behaviorally naive staff in inpatient settings.