Sex differences in problems related to depression

The study investigated possible sex differences in the types of problems that are correlated with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores, using a sample of college students. Problems related to assertiveness and feeling ill at ease were positively correlated with BDI scores for males, but not for females. In contrast, conflicts with parents, feelings of being boxed in and of boredom, lack of money, and chronic physical complaints were positively related to BDI scores for females, but not for males.     

Attitudes toward women,personality rigidity,and idealized physique preferences in males

The idealized physique preferences of a group of 94 male college students were measured and correlated with scales measuring attitudes toward women and personality rigidity. Three hypotheses, derived from sex-role research, were tested and confirmed: (1) Males who have negative attitudes toward women would like most to have a tapering V physique. (2) Males who have a rigid personality structure have stronger preference for an idealized muscular physique than males with more flexible personalities. (3) Males have a generally greater preference for a tapering V physique than women. It was concluded, from the results of this and other studies, that body preference is related to certain aspects of sex-role attitudes.     

Further indications on the validity and usefulness of the Jones Irrational Beliefs Test

Markedly different profiles on the Jones Irrational Beliefs Test (IBT) were obtained from a sample of mental health professionals, of clients in psychotherapy, and of women college students, and the differences were clearly interpretable. In a second study those with high (more irrational) scores on each scale were compared with those with low (more rational) scores on indicators of physical (psychosomatic) illness. On five of the scales as well as for the total score the more irrational groups had significantly more physical symptoms of illness. And, finally, tension headache frequency was found to be related to the total IBT score.It is argued that these findings offer further evidence for the validity of the IBT, and its use in research and clinical practice is encouraged. A reporting booklet for bibliotherapy use with clients is described.Paul J. Woods, Ph.D., co-editor of this journal, is an associate fellow of the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy, a professor of psychology at Hollins College, and is engaged in private practice in Roanoke, Virginia.     

Selective association learning in the rat: Generality of response system

Three experiments with rats examined the possibility that the cue-consequence specificity effect is not mediated by the conditioning of selective associations, but instead reflects the selective behavioral expression of taste-illness and exteroceptive-shock conditioning. Experiment 1 showed that the selective aversion performance could be obtained despite the use of locomotor withdrawal from the CS as the index of conditioning. Experiment 2 compared the response profiles of animals conditioned with footshock or illness to presentation of a saccharin or noise CS. During the test with the noise CS, lithium-conditioned subjects did not differ from control rats on any of several behavioral categories, but shock-conditioned rats showed high levels of freezing in response to the noise cue. During the saccharin test, lithium-treated rats engaged in behaviors such as chin wiping, head shaking, and gaping; these behaviors were rarely or never seen in shock-conditioned rats or controls, whose behavioral profiles during the saccharin test were almost identical. Experiment 3, using a blocking design, found that a noise-lithium pairing did not attenuate subsequent conditioning of a saline-lithium association, nor did a saccharin-shock pairing interfere with conditioning of a noise-shock association. These results confirm that the cue-consequence specificity effect is mediated by the selective associability of taste with illness and of exteroceptive cues with footshock.     

Pastoral visitation to the institutionalized aged: Delivering more than a lick and a promise

A representative nationwide survey of elderly in nursing home facilities was conducted by the Lutheran Council U.S.A. Visitation by family ministers and facility chaplains, a major study focus, was characterized by the elderly as not meeting their needs in terms of frequency and time available with clergy. Time constraints of the clergy are communicated to the elderly, who are understanding but nevertheless felt shortchanged. The elderly without visits from relatives or significant others are particularly vulnerable. Dominant themes within pastoral care visitation are highlighted.Dr. Uhlman is Director of Research and Evaluation and Reverend Steinke is Director of the Clinical Pastoral Education Program with Mental Health Services of the Roanoke Valley, 920 South Jefferson Street, Roanoke, Virginia 24016. The authors wish to acknowledge the Aid Association for the Lutheran Insurance Company and Concordia Teachers College (River Forest, Illinois), which assisted with financial costs and data analysis. Special recognition and appreciation should be noted for the elderly respondents whose participation made our experience both rewarding and enlightening.     

Mental extrapolation in patterns constructed from memory

Finke and Pinker (1982, 1983) showed subjects an array of dots followed by an arrow in a blank field, and asked them to determine whether the arrow pointed to any of the previously seen dots. Response times were linearly related to the distance between the arrow and the nearest dot, suggesting that subjects spontaneously used an internal scanning or extrapolation process to perform the task. We replicate and extend this finding by varying the retention interval, and by employing a paradigm in which subjects’ eyes are closed and the arrows are described to them using a coordinate scheme. We also show that subjects are unable to predict the form of the data when the task simply is described to them. Results suggest that mental scanning along a straight path can be performed on images reconstructed from memory, and that it does not depend on the ongoing perception of a continuous surface, on physical eye movements, or on demand characteristics.     

Take care of egotism,and redemption will take care of itself: Comments on Tracy Llanera's Richard Rorty: Outgrowing modern nihilism

This commentary critically examines two facets of Tracy Llanera's recent book Richard Rorty: Outgrowing Modern Nihilism. First, it considers her interpretation of Richard Rorty's redemptive project. It argues that, while Llanera succeeds in resolving tensions in Rorty's public-private distinction, her account downplays the role of abnormal discourse within projects of self-creation. Second, it raises several questions about Llanera's strategy for situating this redemptive project within debates concerning existential nihilism. On her view, one ought to follow Rorty in addressing the problem of egotism instead of the problem of nihilism, since the former is prior to the latter. But it is not clear who counts as an egotist, or why egotists are especially prone to becoming nihilists. Moreover, there are reasons to think that egotism and nihilism are fundamentally different kinds of problems.     

Examining civic engagement in ethnic minority youth populations: A literature review and concept analysis

Racial reckoning is defined as the subjugation of Black, Indigenous, and people of Color (BIPOC) to racial hierarchies and subordinate groups that influence multiple well-being outcomes throughout the developmental lifespan and across generations. With the two pandemics of racial reckoning and COVID-19 amidst a growing controversial political landscape, topics around civic engagement have been brought to the forefront of community conversation. Discussions surrounding civic engagement must go beyond addressing issues of public concern and examine the vehicle in which civic engagement may be delivered. This is becoming increasingly important as civic engagement is one of the main avenues of social change through individual and collective action, particularly regarding racial reckoning and healthcare disparities highlighted by COVID-19. The paper focuses on civic engagement among ethnic minority youth and young adults. An integrated model of civic engagement was created based off what was learned through this review. This proposed model of civic engagement is meant to be the first step to addressing the gap in civic engagement literature for ethnic minority youth. Weaknesses and future considerations regarding the model will also be discussed, as well as any implications for ethnic minority youth and young adults.