A Psychometric Investigation of the Suicide Status Form II with a Psychiatric Inpatient Sample

We investigated the psychometric validity and reliability of the Suicide Status Form‐II (SSF‐II) developed by Jobes, Jacoby, Cimbolic, and Hustead (1997) . Participants were 149 psychiatric inpatients (108 suicidal; 41 nonsuicidal) at the Mayo Clinic. Each participant completed assessment measures within 24 hours of admission and 48–72 hours later. Factor analyses of the SSF core assessment produced a robust two‐factor solution reflecting chronic and acute response styles. The SSF core assessment had good to excellent convergent and criterion validity; pre‐post SSF ratings also demonstrated moderate test‐retest reliability. The results replicated previous research and show that the SSF‐II is psychometrically sound with a high‐risk suicidal inpatient sample.     

Clinical psychologists' attitudes to lesbians

This study begins the process of examining clinical psychologists' competence in dealing with lesbian clients by assessing their attitudes to lesbians and lesbianism. Attitudinal questionnaires were sent to 200 chartered clinical psychologists and 69 (34.5%) were returned. Respondents displayed generally positive attitudes, with only two out of 12 attitudinal items failing to attract attitudinally positive responses from more than three-quarters of the sample. Yet, because of the possible unrepresentativeness of the sample and the potentially tenuous attitude–behaviour link, it is recommended that consideration of lesbian issues should be explicitly addressed in clinical psychology training.     

Cultural appropriation and aesthetic normativity

Philosophical Studies - Is it ever aesthetically permissible to engage in acts of cultural appropriation? This paper shows how recent work on aesthetic normativity can help answer this question....     

Marital satisfaction,parenting satisfaction,and parenting behavior in early infancy

The relationships between marital adjustment, satisfaction with parenting and actual parental behavior were assessed for a sample of first-time parents. Results indicated that there were consistent relationships between fathers' satisfaction scores and their own behaviors, but few relationships between mothers' behaviors and satisfaction scores. It was suggested that the determinants of the behavior of mothers and fathers may differ. In the absence of specific socialization of fathers into a caregiving role, fathers' caregiving style may become organized and develop primarily in the context of their relationships with their spouses.     

Perceived Marital Changes Following Marriage Guidance Training

Training to become a marriage guidance counsellor in Scotland involves a relatively demanding 18 months' programme of both didactic and experiential learning. Changes in the counsellors' marital relationships following training were evaluated using the Marital Adjustment Test and two ad hoc questionnaires. Of the 49 counsellors who (a) began training between 1976 and 1980, (b) completed the training and (c) were still counselling in February 1983, 33 participated, as did 30 of their partners. In general, the counsellors and their partners reported increased marital satisfaction following the training period, though five counsellors and two partners reported a decrease. The findings from the ad hoc questionnaires were also encouraging.     

A portable pupilometer system for measuring pupillary size and light reflex

A new pupilometry assessment system was evaluated as an instrument for potential use in basic research and clinical studies of addictive drug use in humans. The system is portable and can be used as a peripheral device with a variety of IBM-compatible personal computers. The pupilometer electronically measures the pupil diameter with infrared sensors and has the ability to stimulate the pupil with a programmable pulse of light and to record the resultant papillary response. The present report compares the static pupil-diameter measurements obtained with this infrared pupilometer and those obtained photographically in a bench-top and in a clinical setting. The infrared pupilometer was also used to record the light reflex of the pupil in research subjects after administration of various morphine-related drugs. The results indicate that static pupil-diameter measurements made with the infrared pupilometer compare favorably with the photographic measurement. The ability of the infrared pupilometer to record the light reflex may provide an additional means of quantitatively measuring drug action.     

Smile when you call me that!: The problems with punishing hate motivated behavior

During the last several years, many jurisdictions have enacted laws meant to punish behavior motivated by racial hatred or other forms of bigotry. The actual impact of these laws is probably largely symbolic. These laws, which are often called “hate crime” laws, have a number of problems. Hate crime laws may violate the constitution, but this problem can usually be avoided through careful drafting. More importantly, there are a number of practical and policy problems with hate crime laws; not only are these crimes difficult to identify, but they involve the problematical consideration of the offender's motive. In addition, social scientific theories suggest that the laws may actually increase bigotry and disempower minorities. For these reasons, it is recommended that policy-makers explore other means of reducing bigotry.     

Fertile Ground for Community: Inner-City Neighborhood Common Spaces

Research suggests that the formation of neighborhood social ties (NSTs) may substantially depend on the informal social contact which occurs in neighborhood common spaces, and that in inner-city neighborhoods where common spaces are often barren no-man's lands, the presence of trees and grass supports common space use and informal social contact among neighbors. We found that for 145 urban public housing residents randomly assigned to 18 architecturally identical buildings, levels of vegetation in common spaces predict both use of common spaces and NSTs; further, use of common spaces mediated the relationship between vegetation and NSTS. In addition, vegetation and NSTs were significantly related to residents' senses of safety and adjustment. These findings suggest that the use and characteristics of common spaces may play a vital role in the natural growth of community, and that improving common spaces may be an especially productive focus for community organizing efforts in inner-city neighborhoods.