Shortcomings of the psychomedical research of John Money and co-workers into sex differences in behavior: Social and political implications

This article discusses recent psychomedical research and the underlying biological basis of theories which it uses to explain sex differences in behavior. We criticize the lack of consideration of sociological factors both in the experimental design and in the interpretation of the results in this research, with a focus on the studies of John Money and his co-workers. The social and political implications of this research are also discussed.     

An analysis of the stages underlying the process of responding to personality items

Three experiments were done to determine the additivity of pairwise comparisons of three personality item characteristics: (1) Length, (2) Ambiguity and (3) Controversiality, using Sternberg's (1969) method. Each of these item attributes was chosen as an experimental factor to represent a stage in a postulated model of responding to personality items. Results indicated non-additivity of the experimental factors which was interpreted as supporting the postulated model.     

The Association Between Implicit Racial Bias and Mindfulness in Mental Health Practitioners

The mental health research literature on implicit bias is limited (Boysen, 2009), and little is known about how factors that are associated with self‐perceived multicultural counseling awareness, such as mindfulness, relate to implicit racial bias in practicing mental health professionals. Using a correlational research design, we examined the association between mental health practitioners' implicit bias, self‐perceived multicultural counseling competence, facets of dispositional mindfulness, and mindfulness practices. A total of 137 mental health professionals completed an online questionnaire. Results revealed a negative relationship between the observing component of dispositional mindfulness and the implicit racial preference associating White and “good” words. In addition, results indicated that the frequency of engaging in mindfulness practices negatively predicted implicit racial preference associating White and good. Implications for counselor training, practice, and future research are discussed.     

Young Adults' Perceived Purposes of Emerging Adulthood: Implications for Cohabitation

The authors investigated associations between young adults' perceived purposes of emerging adulthood and their attitudes toward and participation in cohabitation. In a sample of 775 never married individuals, ages 18–29 (69% female, 69% white) from the United States, young people's perceptions of this period of life were associated with their acceptance of cohabitation, their reasoning for accepting cohabitation, and the likelihood of cohabiting. Results showed that the perception that emerging adulthood is a time to prepare for future family roles was negatively associated with acceptance of cohabitation whereas the perception that emerging adulthood is a time to take risks was positively associated with acceptance of cohabitation. The perception that emerging adulthood is a time to prepare for future family roles was associated with an increased likelihood of having cohabited while the perception that emerging adulthood is a time of possibilities was associated with a decreased likelihood of having cohabited. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Initial Primary Teacher Education Students and Spirituality

In recent years there has begun to be a resurgence of interest in educating the whole child in response to an over emphasis on basic skills teaching. In the study reported in this article, initial primary teacher education students at a regional Australian university were asked to explore and discuss their beliefs about the notion of spirituality. A survey was one of the instruments used and the responses obtained were placed into one of five categories or dimensions of spirituality. These included spirituality and self (reflection); religion; nature (environment/universe); relationships; and major life events (birth/marriage/death). Each of these categories are discussed in relation to a similar study conducted in the United Kingdom. Some implications for teacher educators and their initial primary teacher education students are discussed. These implications are able to help both groups work towards a more spiritually sensitive curriculum which seeks to recognise spiritual development as integral and central for providing a holistic education for all children.     

Content Analysis of Suicide Notes as a Test of the Motivational Component of the Existential‐Constructivist Model of Suicide

A sample of 40 suicide notes were analyzed for motivational content in relation to an existential‐constructivist theory of suicide. Results generally supported the 4 theoretical categories of somatic, relational, spiritual, and psychological motivations, with 39 notes having content that could be classified according to the aforementioned categories. Psychological motivations were found to be the most prevalent, followed by relational, spiritual, and somatic concerns. Notes of completed suicides included more relational motivations than did those of suicide attempters, and older writers of notes showed more psychological and fewer spiritual motivations than did younger writers. Recommendations are offered for revising the theory to provide a stronger meaning‐based understanding of suicidal behavior.     

Cognitive architectures: Research issues and challenges

In this paper, we examine the motivations for research on cognitive architectures and review some candidates that have been explored in the literature. After this, we consider the capabilities that a cognitive architecture should support, some properties that it should exhibit related to representation, organization, performance, and learning, and some criteria for evaluating such architectures at the systems level. In closing, we discuss some open issues that should drive future research in this important area.