Freedom, Fiction and Evidential Decision Theory

This paper argues against evidential decision-theory, by showing that the newest responses to its biggest current problem – the medical Newcomb problems – don’t work. The latest approach is described, and the arguments of two main proponents of it – Huw Price and CR Hitchcock – clearly distinguished and examined. It is argued that since neither new defence is successful, causation remains essential to understanding means-end agency.     

Gendered Career Paths: A Life Course Perspective on Returning to School

We applied a life course perspective to an examination of work-to-school transitions, and highlighted the individual and family-level factors that differentially shape the career pathways of men and women. We employed data from a sample of employed middle-class men and women in dual-earner couples (N?=?1,408 couples) to examine the relationship between returning to school and prior educational attainment, individual biographic pacing (age, timing of marriage), job history, current job conditions, psychological resources, and family demands. Results support several hypothesized gender differences in the return to school pathway. Women with the heaviest combination of work and family demands were the most likely to return, an unexpected finding that we discuss with reference to both personal and structural resources.     

Predictors of Cancer Worry in Unaffected Women from High Risk Breast Cancer Families: Risk Perception is not the Primary Issue

Some women at increased familial risk of breast cancer experience elevated levels of cancer-specific worry, which can possibly act as a barrier to screening, and may be a significant factor in decisions regarding risk-reducing surgery. The aim of this study was to comprehensively examine predictors of cancer-specific worry in high risk women and to test a model which proposes that perceived breast cancer risk mediates the impact of other factors on worry. 1,437 unaffected women from high risk breast cancer families completed questionnaires and interviews. Path analysis was used to test the model of potential predictors of cancer worry, including familial, personal and psychological variables, mediated via perceived cancer risk. Levels of cancer-specific worry were generally low despite an average perceived risk of 50.3%. The goodness-of-fit of the proposed model was poor, explaining only 9% of the variance for perceived risk and 10% of the variance for cancer specific worry. An alternative model of a direct relationship between all of the predictor variables and cancer worry, explained 24% of the variation in cancer worry. General anxiety, perceived risk, the stressful impact of recent cancer related events, a relative risk greater than 10, being closer in age to the youngest breast cancer diagnosis in family, and knowledge of personal mutation status, all independently contributed to cancer worry. Addressing general affective responses, experiences of recent cancer related events, in addition to education about personal risk, should be considered in counselling women with elevated cancer worry. Risk perception appears to act independently of other factors in its formulation and impact on cancer worry. Further research on the way in which women come to perceive their risk is indicated. The kConFab Psychosocial Group are (in alphabetical order of institution): Brain and Mind Institute, University of Sydney, Australia (I Hickie) Department of Haematology and Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia (K-A Phillips) Department of Medical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Australia (B Bennett, B Meiser, K Tucker) Department of Oncology, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia (S-A MaLachlan) Department of Psychological Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Australia (C Tennant); Medical Psychology Research Unit, University of Sydney, Australia (P Butow, M Price).     

Pediatric–Psychology Partnership for Abuse Prevention

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant, albeit underreported and underidentified, public health problem that requires the informed and coordinated efforts of the health care system for appropriate recognition and intervention. In addition, health disparities are seen in the incidence, prevalence, and burden of IPV among specific population groups in the United States. Pediatric–Psychology Partnership for Abuse Prevention is a graduate psychology education training project focused on developing an integrated primary health-care based workforce that is culturally sensitive and competent in the identification and remediation of IPV. In addition, this project aimed to increase the number of health service psychologists from diverse backgrounds who are culturally competent and aware of health disparities. The training included clinical psychology trainees and pediatric residents working together in an ambulatory pediatric health care setting. Project methods, outcomes, and implications for predoctoral clinical psychology training programs are described.     

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....