Removing the shadow of suspicion: the effects of apology versus denial for repairing competence- versus integrity-based trust violations

Two studies were conducted to examine the implications of an apology versus a denial for repairing trust after an alleged violation. Results reveal that trust was repaired more successfully when mistrusted parties (a) apologized for violations concerning matters of competence but denied culpability for violations concerning matters of integrity, and (b) had apologized for violations when there was subsequent evidence of guilt but had denied culpability for violations when there was subsequent evidence of innocence. Supplementary analyses also revealed that the interactive effects of violation type and violation response on participants' trusting intentions were mediated by their trusting beliefs. Combined, these findings provide needed insight and supporting evidence concerning how trust might be repaired in the aftermath of a violation.     

The Chinese in Canada: a study in ethnic change with emphasis on gender roles

The authors investigated the impact of ethnic change experienced by Chinese Canadian couples on gender-role attitude, household task-role expectations and performance. The authors presented acculturation and Chinese ethnic identification as the two discriminant facets of ethnic change. Results indicated a nonsignificant role of acculturation in bringing about modifications of the gender-role attitudes of husbands and of their household task-role expectations. In contrast, the acculturation of Chinese Canadian wives proved to be a significant factor in promoting more modern (less traditional) gender-role attitudes, which in turn led to role expectations that they should contribute less to the performance of the tasks that traditionally fall in the female domain whereas their husbands should contribute more. Subsequent results also revealed that the acculturation of wives was directly linked to the role expectation that they should assume a greater share of responsibility in taking care of the traditionally husband-responsible tasks whereas their husbands should contribute a smaller share. Moreover, Chinese ethnic identification emerged as a significant determinant of husbands' gender-role attitudes and influenced their role expectation that husbands should contribute more to the performance of the tasks that traditionally fall in the male domain whereas their wives should contribute less.     

A slow wave investigation of working memory biases in mood disorders

Mood-congruent working memory biases were examined in a delayed matching to sample paradigm using the slow wave (SW) event-related brain potential (ERP) component. Mood-congruent working memory biases, indexed by SW amplitudes, were demonstrated among individuals experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE) and nondepressed controls but not individuals with dysthymia. However, analyses of symptom severity demonstrated that those with dysthymia exhibited significantly less negative SW amplitudes with increasing depressive mood severity, whereas individuals with major depression demonstrated more negative SW amplitudes with increasing depressive mood severity. These results are discussed in the context of diagnostic specificity for cognitive biases associated with working memory of mood-disordered individuals.     

Perceptual information and attentional constraints in visual search of collision events

This study examined the detection of collision events when multiple moving objects were present in the scene. Observers were presented with displays simulating a 3-D environment with multiple moving objects. The authors examined the ability of observers to detect collisions using a signal-detection paradigm and a visual search paradigm. The results indicated that, overall, observers were quite accurate at detecting collisions. Observers used both expansion information and static position to detect collisions, with expansion information being the more important source. Singleton search conditions were not processed in parallel, and conjunction search conditions had poorer performance than singleton search conditions. In addition, reaction times were greater for target-present trials as compared with target-absent trials. The results are interpreted in terms of 4 visual search hypotheses for collision detection when multiple moving objects are present.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Chinese calligraphy practice and aggressive behaviors among children: The role of trait aggression and aggressive motivation

The current research tested whether calligraphy practice could decrease aggressive behaviors (measured by the Competitive Reaction Time Task) in a sample of 120 aggressive children (M_age = 8.58, SD = 1.50). Half of the children were randomly assigned to practice copying pleasant calligraphy (experimental condition), while the other half copied neutral calligraphy (control condition). Results showed that copying pleasant calligraphy decreased aggression in comparison to copying neutral calligraphy. Specifically, the effect was more salient among boys than for girls. Moderation analysis suggested that the effect of pleasant calligraphy practice on aggressive behaviors was not moderated by trait aggression. This effect, however, was fully mediated by aggressive motivation. These findings indicated that copying pleasant calligraphy may be an effective measure to reduce as well as to prevent aggressive behaviors among children nominated by teachers as aggressive. Specifically, boys may be regarded as the key target group to decrease aggressive behaviors by using pleasant calligraphy. Limitations and implications of the study were discussed.

     

Examining Criteria for Adulthood Among Young People in Sabah (East Malaysia)

This study aims to identify perceived adult status and to explore the criteria for adulthood of young people in Sabah (East Malaysia). The differences in such criteria based on gender and student status are also examined. Data collected from 208 respondents were analyzed via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The empirical results of CFA revealed six criteria for adulthood: family capacities, norm compliance, interdependence, biological transitions, role transitions, and chronological transitions. However, the independence factor was discarded for further analysis because of having weak item loadings. In addition, the ANOVA test showed that women have higher interdependency and higher family capacities than men. Traditionally, women are more “other-oriented”—frequently thinking about the perspectives and needs of others—and are acknowledged as the main caregivers for children. Students are found to emphasize role transitions and biological transitions in determining their adulthood more than nonstudents. The present findings enable policymakers to obtain current emerging adults’ views regarding the differences in criteria for adulthood based on gender and student status. Present findings permit a better understanding of the value of emerging adults’ mental health as they encounter social, emotional, psychological, and physical challenges. This awareness would facilitate the provision of appropriate developmental programs for emerging adults to assist them in achieving adulthood. Directions for future research are also provided.

     

Longitudinal Associations Between Parental SES and Adolescent Health-Related Quality of Life Using Growth Curve Modeling

We evaluate how two aspects of socioeconomic status, parental objective and subjective social status, are associated with health-related quality of life in three racial/ethnic groups during pre- to mid-adolescent development, using growth curve modeling. In a longitudinal cohort study, 4,048 Black, Latinx, or White adolescents were assessed in 5th, 7th and 10th grade. Objective social status (OSS) was based on parent-reported highest household educational attainment and total household income, and subjective social status (SSS) was measured with the MacArthur Scale, through which parents indicated their social standing in reference to community and national norms. Adolescents completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory to measure their physical and psychosocial health-related quality of life. Based on growth curve modeling of the intercept, adolescents whose parents have higher OSS levels reported better health-related quality of life, whereas parental SSS was not associated with adolescent health-related quality of life in 5^th grade. These findings were largely consistent across racial/ethnic groups. Based on growth curve modeling of the developmental slopes (or growth curves), higher objective social status was associated with a slower positive growth of health-related quality of life from 5^th to 10^th grade, which was largely consistent across racial/ethnic groups. The opposite appeared for parental SSS and physical health-related quality of life, and only for Latinx, where higher parental perceived social status was associated with an acceleration of positive change. Family income and education may influence health-related quality of life at the start of adolescence, but its effect appears to diminish as youth mature. However, in Latinx youth, parents’ perceived social status may continue to influence improvement in their physical health-related quality of life as they mature.

     

William MacAskill,Krister Bykvist,and Toby Ord: Moral Uncertainty

Ethical Theory and Moral Practice -     

Churches in solidarity with the divided Korean Peninsula

This article explores God’s mission of reconciliation through the ecumenical efforts for peace, reconciliation, and reunification on the Korean Peninsula. It consists of three parts. The first section explores reconciliation as a means of overcoming the division system in Korea. The second section offers reconciliation as a peace process in the Korean context. The third section highlights the engagement in the reconciliation as a spiritual journey from the World Council of Churches’ global prayer campaign, which is a Christian pathway toward a peace system in the Korean Peninsula. In particular, this article demonstrates that prayer is not a strategy in our work of advocacy but a spiritual mandate and movement toward peace and justice cultivating reconciliation.     

The Benefits of Spiritual Diaries: A Mixed-Method Study in Korea

Journal of Religion and Health - This mixed study examined the benefits of spiritual diaries in Korea. Quantitatively, differences in spiritual growth and psychological well-being were examined in...