Disfigurement: Personal,psychosocial and ethical aspects

The author discusses the physical, social and psychological dimensions of personhood as they are affected by disfigurement. She draws on two case studies to discuss varying reactions to disfigurement and explores ways the physician can respond to requests for surgical correction of deformity.     

Am I too fat to be a princess? Examining the effects of popular children's media on young girls' body image

The current study investigated the effects of brief exposure to appearance‐related media on young girls' body image. One hundred and twenty‐one girls aged 3–6 years old participated. Results indicated that exposure did not affect body dissatisfaction or engagement in appearance‐related play behaviours. This is the first empirical study to provide support for previous findings that suggest media exposure does not affect body image in young girls. In contrast to older populations, it is possible that young children may adopt the persona of attractive characters with whom they identify rather than comparing themselves to the characters. Although nearly all girls liked the way they looked, self‐report data indicated that nearly one‐third of the participants would change something about their physical appearance and nearly half of the girls worried about being fat. Exposure to appearance‐related media did not exacerbate concerns.     

Techniques for the production of point-light and fully illuminated video displays from identical recordings

Illumination of only a few key points on a moving human body or face is enough to convey a compelling perception of human motion. A full understanding of the perception ofbiological motion from point-light displays requires accurate comparison with the perception of motion in normal, fully illuminated versions of the same images. Traditionally, these two types of stimuli (point-light and fully illuminated) have been filmed separately, allowing the introduction of uncontrolled variation across recordings. This is undesirable for accurate comparison of perceptual performance across the two types of display. This article describes simple techniques, using proprietary software, that allow production of point-light and fully illuminated video displays from identical recordings. These techniques are potentially useful for many studies of motion perception, by permitting precise comparison of perceptual performances across point-light displays and their fully illuminated counterparts with accuracy and comparative ease.     

A comparison of parent-education methods in maternity wards

This study investigated the effect of three parent-education methods for use with mothers in maternity wards. The three methods were videotapes and a handbook, videotapes only, and handbook only. The two groups who received the videotapes performed better on a posttest than two no-treatment control groups. No differences were evident between the videotapes and handbook group and the videotapes-only group. The handbook-only condition was better than only one of the control groups. Usefulness of the program, problems encountered, and future research needs are discussed.     

Infant assessment as intervention and parent education

The importance of involving parents as active participants in the process of infant assessment is discussed. Presented are techniques for facilitating this involvement which can maximize the possibility that parents will follow through on educational plans. Use of this type of assessment is a form of intervention.