Impact of perceived consensus on stereotypes about obese people: a new approach for reducing bias.

In 3 experiments, the authors tested the effect of perceived social consensus on attitudes toward obese people. Participants completed self-report measures of attitudes toward obese people prior to and after manipulated consensus feedback depicting attitudes of others. In Study 1 (N=60), participants decreased negative and increased positive stereotypes after learning that others held more favorable attitudes toward obese people. In Study 2 (N=55), participants improved attitudes when they learned about favorable attitudes of obese people from an in-group versus an out-group source. In Study 3 (N=200), a consensus approach was compared with other stigma reduction methods. Social consensus feedback influenced participants' attitudes and beliefs about causes of obesity. Providing information about the uncontrollable causes of obesity and supposed scientific prevalence of traits also improved attitudes.     

Domain-specific responses to power-based interaction

Variations in power-relevant information-processing (response latency on a lexical-decision making task), acoustical responses (vocal amplitude and pitch), and affective responses were measured as a function of a power-relevant priming manipulation, and gender. When participants were primed for a power challenge (as opposed to other challenges), males (but not females) manifested exceptionally fast processing of power-relevant adjectives - suggesting the greater accessibility of power cues for males. Regardless of gender, participants primed for a power challenge manifested lower vocal amplitude (consistent with a de-escalating strategy). However, only women manifested an elevated pitch level and self-reported apprehension - indicating that women, even more than men show a de-escalating response to a power challenge.     

The impact of school-based mentoring on youths with different relational profiles

Associations between youths' relationship profiles and mentoring outcomes were explored in the context of a national, randomized study of 1,139 youths (54% female) in geographically diverse Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based mentoring programs. The sample included youths in Grades 4-9 from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, the majority of whom were receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Latent profile analysis, a person-oriented approach, was used to identify 3 distinct relational profiles. Mentoring was found to have differential effects depending on youths' preintervention approach to relationships. In particular, youths who, at baseline, had satisfactory, but not particularly strong, relationships benefited more from mentoring than did youths with profiles characterized by either strongly positive or negative relationships. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Use of the gait deviation index for the evaluation of patients with Parkinson's disease

The authors aimed to determine whether the Gait Deviation Index (GDI) could be feasible to characterize gait in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and evaluate outcomes of levodopa treatment. Twenty-two PD participants were evaluated with clinical examination and 3-D quantitative gait analysis (GDI was calculated from gait analysis) in 2 states (OFF and ON) after taking levodopa. Twenty age-matched healthy participants (CG) were included as controls. The GDI value in the OFF state was 83.4 ± 11.5 (statistically different from CG) while clinical scales demonstrated a moderate-severe gait impairment of these patients. Significant improvements are evident from clinical scores and by GDI values in the ON state. The mean GDI for the ON state (GDI(ON): 87.9 ± 10.4) was significantly higher than in for the OFF state (GDI(OFF): 83.4 ± 11.5), indicating a global gait improvement after the treatment. The results show that GDI has lower value as an indicator of pathology in PD patients than in quantifying the effects of levodopa treatment in PD state.     

Youth Initiated Mentoring: Investigating a New Approach to Working with Vulnerable Adolescents

This study examines youth initiated mentoring (YIM), a new approach to mentoring in which youth nominate mentors from among the non-parental adults within their existing social networks (e.g., teachers, family friends, extended family members). YIM is currently being implemented through the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program (NGYCP), an intensive residential intervention program for youth ages 16–18 who have dropped out or been expelled from high school. This study employed a mixed methods explanatory design, drawing on quantitative data from a national longitudinal evaluation of NGYCP (N = 1,173) and qualitative data from a subsample of participants (N = 30) in the evaluation. Results indicated that more enduring mentoring relationships were associated with increased retention of educational, vocational, and behavioral outcomes 3 years following entry into the study. Qualitative data suggested that, when relationships endured, mentors contributed to improvements in participants’ educational and occupational success, quality of relationships with parents, peers, and others, and self-concept by providing social-emotional support, instrumental support, and guidance. Results also revealed that relationships were more likely to endure when youth chose their mentors on their own (rather than receiving help from parents or program staff) and when mentors were of the same race as youth. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Effects of Alternate Modes of Administration on Rorschach Performance of Deaf Adults

This study examined two modes of administering the Rorschach Inkblot Technique to determine which was more appropriate for a college-educated, deaf population. Twenty-four prelingually deaf adults took the Rorschach in sign language and in written English, using a counterbalanced test-retest design, and their sign and written scores were compared to each other and to 1986 norms for Exner's Comprehensive System. Seventeen variables measuring such areas as perceptual accuracy, perceptual complexity, and self-focus were found to vary more than one standard deviation from Exner's norms. Differences between sign and written conditions on several affective variables were found. Written administration can be used by examiners who are informed about deafness and aware of variables that may be underreported by written inquiry.