Propositions for the Study of Moral Personality Development

Most of us have at one point speculated about why one individual grew up to be honest and fair while another became wicked and untrustworthy. In the current review, we present the case that new directions in the empirical study of moral personality development are needed. We set the stage for this future work by presenting six propositions that should serve as the foundation for future research in the field. We conclude by providing an example of how using a more integrative and inclusive framework for studying personality can readily incorporate these propositions.     

Relationship Quality and Purchase Intention and Behavior: The Moderating Impact of Relationship Strength

Purpose  

The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between perceived relationship quality, purchase intention and behavior, and the moderating role of relationship strength.     

Behavioural group therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder in Norway. An open community-based trial

The aim of the current study was to test the effectiveness of ERP-based 12 weeks group therapy for OCD patients in a community-based, general Norwegian outpatient clinic. The sample consisted of 54 patients diagnosed with OCD. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) were administered before treatment, after treatment and at 3- and 12-month follow-ups. Analyses with mixed models for repeated measurements showed that group behavioural therapy offered to OCD patients significantly improved ratings of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression and anxiety. These improvements were maintained at 3- and 12-month follow-ups and an additional reduction in obsessive-compulsive symptoms was observed from post-treatment to 3-month follow-up. However, the delayed effect of therapy was no longer present at 12-month follow-up. The results also revealed that the patients had a lower chance for an increased outcome category (e.g. from unchanged to improved or recovered) with high scores on STAI-S at the given observation times (post-treatment, 3- and 12-months follow-ups). Depressive symptoms (BDI) at post-treatment and follow-ups had no significant influences on the three categories of outcome for OCD. In conclusion, the results indicate that behavioural group therapy can successfully be delivered to patients with considerable comorbidity in a real world setting conducted by therapists with limited training in the CBT.     

Teacher–child interactions: relations with children's self‐concept in second grade

This study examined whether teacher–child interactions characterized by teacher involvement, structure, and autonomy support at the beginning of second grade predicted children's global, academic, social, and behavioural self‐concept at the end of second grade. The study was conducted in 30 second grade classrooms with 570 children and their teachers. Data included teacher reports of teacher–child interactions and child reports of self‐concept. Results showed that, when controlling for the initial level of self‐concept, children's social self‐concept was predicted by teacher involvement, structure, and autonomy support. In addition, teacher autonomy support predicted high academic self‐concept. Finally, these teacher–child interaction characteristics did not contribute to the behavioural and global self‐concept. The results were similar for boys and girls. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ministerial burnout: motivation and renewal for mission

Roman Catholic priests are at high risk for stressors, burnout, and other emotional problems due to aging, role confusion, lack of support, changes in occupational focus, and ideological questions (Fruehle, Gautier, Bendyna, 2000; Hamel, 2000; Sammon, Reznikoff, & Gersinger, 1985; USCCB, 1982; USCCB, 2000). The business theories of Organizational Citizen Behavior and Survivor's Syndrome provide organizational explanations for factors contributing to the lack of motivation among priests. The techniques in Motivational Interviewing provide tools for religious leaders to employ when addressing the lack of motivation with individual priests. The article provides recommendations for seminaries and priests' programs of ongoing formation in addressing the issues of burnout, low-morale, and the lack of motivation.     

Effects on Volunteering of the September 11, 2001, Attacks: An Archival Analysis1

Data from a national online organization that matches volunteers with service organizations places volunteers were analyzed to answer questions regarding the impact of the September 11, 2001, attacks on volunteering in the United States. Results showed that: (a) following September 11, there was a dramatic increase in the number of people who offered to volunteering, and the increase lasted for about 3 weeks; (b) the greatest increase in volunteering occurred for crisis‐related organizations, but volunteering increased significantly for all kinds of charities and service organizations; and (c) the demographic correlates of volunteering changed little in the wake of the attacks. The results are discussed in the context of psychological theories of the factors that motivate prosocial actions.     

Limitations in verbal fluency following heavy burdens of early childhood diarrhea in Brazilian shantytown children.

The effects of heavy burdens of diarrhea in the first 2 years of life on specific executive control function like verbal fluency are not well understood. In previous studies, we have shown associations of early childhood diarrhea (ECD) with nonverbal intelligence and school functioning. Therefore, we postulated that ECD might affect early neuropsychological development leading to long-term deficits in normal cognitive development. Based on our extensive 14-year prospective cohort studies of early childhood diarrheal illnesses in a Brazilian shantytown community, we examined ECD correlations between specific impairments of higher mental function and executive skills in shantytown children 5-10 years later (now at 6-12) years of age. Specifically we examined whether heavy diarrheal illnesses correlate with reduced performance on selected tests of executive function. Our study, for the first time, suggests a disproportional impairment in semantic but not phonetic fluency in a subset of children with heavy burdens of diarrhea in their first 2 years of life even when controlling for maternal education, breastfeeding, and child schooling. Similar semantic decrements have been associated with impaired recovery from brain injury. These exploratory studies suggest the importance of verbal fluency tests to assess executive functioning in children challenged by poor nutrition and diarrhea in early life. In addition, our unique findings show the potential influences of early childhood diarrhea on language development that is so critical to productive adulthood and potentially set a foundation for new neuropsychological approaches, which assess early burdens of enteric illnesses on childhood development.     

Arthur Prior and Hybrid Logic

Contemporary hybrid logic is based on the idea of using formulas as terms, an idea invented and explored by Arthur Prior in the mid-1960s. But Prior’s own work on hybrid logic remains largely undiscussed. This is unfortunate, since hybridisation played a role that was both central to and problematic for his philosophical views on tense. In this paper I introduce hybrid logic from a contemporary perspective, and then examine the role it played in Prior’s work.