Friendship and group identification: a new look at the role of cohesiveness in groupthink

This article proposes that research has failed to clarify the causal role of group cohesiveness in groupthink because of a failure to distinguish cohesiveness from friendship. To remedy this, a conceptual distinction, based on social identity theory, is drawn between positive regard grounded in interpersonal relations (personal attraction, friendship), and solidarity grounded in group identification (depersonalized social attraction, true group cohesiveness)—Hogg (1992). An experiment compared the roles of friendship and social attraction in groupthink. Four-person discussion groups of friends, or socially attractive or random groups of strangers, made decisions (N=472). Background conditions for groupthink were established, and a wide range of subjective and behavioural measures of friendship, identification/social attraction, and the decision-making process were taken. Analyses isolated effects associated with friendship/personal attraction, from those associated with identification/social attraction. Friendship was found to be weakly and negatively related to symptoms of groupthink, while group identification and social attraction were strongly and, with some exceptions, positively related to symptoms of groupthink. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

“Bridging the Gap”: A reflexive thematic analysis of the experiences of therapy trainees transitioning from psychodynamic counselling to cognitive behavioural therapy

There is limited empirical research and insight into the experiences of therapy trainees who are being taught more than one psychotherapeutic approach during their training. Further understanding is warranted to ensure that a dual modality approach to training (that is, where therapists are trained in two paradigmatically distinct modalities) is experienced as worthwhile and acceptable to trainees and to better understand any challenges faced when transitioning between approaches. The aim of this study was to investigate trainees' experiences of transitioning from psychodynamic counselling to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on a two-year master's degree that offers a dual modality approach to training. Data were collected from a sample of 8 trainees using an online semistructured questionnaire. These data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2020) reflexive thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified: (1) perceived competence; (2) preparedness; (3) professional advantages; and (4) external challenges. The findings suggested considerable individual variation in the ease with which participants navigated the transition between therapeutic modalities. Those who found the transition easier used the structure of CBT to provide a framework and point of difference that allowed them to temporarily suspend their psychodynamic learning in order to embrace a new therapeutic approach. Others experienced the move to CBT as posing a threat to their developing identities as counsellors. Recommendations are made on how to prepare trainees for the transition including exploring the psychological impact of transitions, increasing opportunities for reflective practice and facilitating exploration of what it means to be a therapist trained in two distinct therapeutic modalities.     

Genetic basis for male aggression and survivorship in wild house mice (Mus domesticus)

Work on the genetic region of the house mice known as the t-complex has produced the hypothesis that mice heterozygous for t-haplotypes (+/t) may have a selective advantage over wild-type (+/+) males owing to the greater aggressiveness of +/t males. We tested this hypothesis by examining the behavior of +/+ and +/t mice placed in four large outdoor enclosures. We found that +/t males were dominant over +/+ males. Furthermore, in the outdoor enclosures +/t males had higher survivorship than +/+ males, both as adults and juveniles. However, males of the two genotypes did not differ in home range size. We suggest that t-haplotypes may be, in part, maintained in mouse populations because of a selective advantage in heterozygous males. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Patient-Informed Treatment Development of Behavioral Smoking Cessation for People With Schizophrenia

The objective of this study was to use qualitative methodology to tailor and refine an existing smoking cessation intervention for the population of people who use cigarettes and are diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, or psychotic disorder. Successive cohort design methodology was used to iteratively modify the treatment in response to qualitative participant, therapist, and consultant feedback on the intervention. Qualitative methodology for participant feedback included analysis of semistructured interviews with participants, visualization of app utilization data, and stakeholder feedback from study therapists and consultants. Using the successive cohort design, a tailored multicomponent mobile health smoking cessation intervention was developed. The intervention included mobile contingency management (i.e., financial compensation for confirmed abstinence from smoking), pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation, cognitive-behavioral counseling sessions, and the Stay Quit app for relapse prevention. Two cohorts (N = 13) were completed in the study; after each cohort, the treatment protocol was revised. The intervention is described, as well as the qualitative findings from each cohort and subsequent changes made to the intervention based upon patient and provider feedback. Metrics of patient engagement included treatment adherence (40% in Cohort 1 and 63% in Cohort 2). Both participants and therapists reported that the intervention was helpful. Over one third of participants self-reported abstinence at posttreatment. Since qualitative methodology is often underutilized in mental health treatment development, this study demonstrates the utility of the successive cohort design for treatment development of behavior change interventions for at-risk, vulnerable populations.     

Technology‐based contingency management and e‐cigarettes during the initial weeks of a smoking quit attempt

Contingency management (CM) interventions are among the most effective behavioral interventions for smoking. This study assessed the effects of CM and electronic cigarettes (ECs) on smoking reductions and abstinence for durations of 30‐36 days. Twelve participants were exposed to Baseline, EC alone, and EC + CM conditions. An internet‐based platform was used to monitor smoking via breath carbon monoxide (CO) and deliver CM for smoking abstinence (CO ≤4 ppm). A Bluetooth‐enabled EC monitored daily EC puffs. Abstinence rates were equivalent between EC (34.4%) and EC + CM (30.4%) conditions. Both conditions promoted smoking reductions. We observed an inverse correlation between smoking and EC puffs (r = ‐.62, p < .05). Results suggest the use of electronic cigarettes can promote smoking reductions and abstinence, and CM did not improve these outcomes. Larger magnitude consequences or tailoring EC characteristics (e.g., flavor) may have improved outcomes. Technology‐based methods to collect intensive, longitudinal measures of smoking and electronic cigarette use may be useful to characterize their environmental determinants.     

Does your mindfulness benefit others? A systematic review and meta‐analysis of the link between mindfulness and prosocial behaviour

Mindfulness‐based meditation practices have received substantial scientific attention in recent years. Mindfulness has been shown to bring many psychological benefits to the individual, but much less is known about whether these benefits extend to others. This meta‐analysis reviewed the link between mindfulness – as both a personality variable and an intervention – and prosocial behaviour. A literature search produced 31 eligible studies (N = 17,241) and 73 effect sizes. Meta‐analyses were conducted using mixed‐effects structural equation models to examine pooled effects and potential moderators of these effects. We found a positive pooled effect between mindfulness and prosocial behaviour for both correlational (d = .73 CI 95% [0.51 to 0.96]) and intervention studies (d = .51 CI 95% [0.37 to 0.66]). For the latter, medium‐sized effects were obtained across varying meditation types and intensities, and across gender and age categories. Preliminary evidence is presented regarding potential mediators of these effects. Although we found that mindfulness is positively related to prosociality, further research is needed to examine the mediators of this link and the contexts in which it is most pronounced.     

Comparing mand training and other instructional methods to teach a foreign language

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of mand, tact, and native‐to‐foreign (NFI) and foreign‐to‐native (FNI) intraverbal training on the acquisition of a foreign language. We used a multiple‐baseline design across participants with an embedded adapted alternating treatments design to compare the effects of mand training, tact training, NFI training, and FNI training on the acquisition rate of Chinese words in four typically developing adults. We also examined the emergence of untrained foreign language responses for each training condition. Data for 3 out of the 4 participants suggest that mand training was the most efficient training procedure with respect to acquisition rate. The greatest amount of emergent responding was observed for the mand and tact training conditions.     

The effects of different mastery criteria on the skill maintenance of children with developmental disabilities

The acquisition of skills by individuals with developmental disabilities typically includes the attainment of a certain mastery criterion. We conducted a survey of practitioners who indicated the most commonly used mastery criterion as 80% accuracy across three consecutive sessions. Based on these results, we conducted a series of three experiments to evaluate the relation between mastery criterion and subsequent skill maintenance with 4 individuals with various developmental disabilities. Results suggest that 80% accuracy across three consecutive sessions may be insufficient for producing maintenance in some cases.     

Neural correlates of intertemporal choice in aggressive behavior

People often have to make decisions between immediate rewards and more long-term goals. Such intertemporal judgments are often investigated in the context of monetary choice or drug use, yet not in regard to aggressive behavior. We combined a novel intertemporal aggression paradigm with functional neuroimaging to examine the role of temporal delay in aggressive behavior and the neural correlates thereof. Sixty-one participants (aged 18–22 years; 37 females) exhibited substantial variability in the extent to which they selected immediate acts of lesser aggression versus delayed acts of greater aggression against a same-sex opponent. Choosing delayed-yet-more-severe aggression was increased by provocation and associated with greater self-control. Preferences for delayed aggression were associated with greater activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) during such choices, and reduced functional connectivity between the VMPFC and brain regions implicated in motor impulsivity. Preferences for immediate aggression were associated with reduced functional connectivity between the VMPFC and the frontoparietal control network. Dispositionally aggressive participants exhibited reduced VMPFC activity, which partially explained and suppressed their preferences for delayed aggression. Blunted VMPFC activity may thus be a neural mechanism that promotes reactive aggression towards provocateurs among dispositionally aggressive individuals. These findings demonstrate the utility of an intertemporal framework for investigating aggression and provide further evidence for the similar underlying neurobiology between aggression and other rewarding behaviors.