Living with terrorism or withdrawing in terror: Perceived control and consumer avoidance

Terror attacks targeting civilians are becoming more frequent and affecting more places around the globe. Given the increasing intensity of terrorism and the threat of terrorism, consumer behavioral manifestations may occur. We conducted three studies with diverse methodologies and populations to explore how concerns with terrorism affect individuals' behavior. Two studies were conducted in Israel, a Western country that in the last decade experienced frequent terror attacks targeted at civilians. Results show that concerns with frequent terrorism increase people's desire for control and may lead to avoidant behaviors. The extent of the avoidance response depends on consumers' perceptions of whether they have some control over the odds of becoming a casualty should a terror attack occur. When individuals perceive their control to be low (but not high), they exhibit more avoidant behavior, changing their preferences and consumptions. We further find that individuals' general desire for control increases when they are primed with terrorist activities compared with general mortality. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relationships among Athletic Identity,Coping Skills,Social Support,and the Psychological Impact of Injury in Recreational Participants

Abstract

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine athletic identity, coping skills, and social support as moderators of mood disturbance and physical self-esteem with the occurrence of injury in recreational participants. Thirty participants, who sustained an injury that prohibited physical activity for at least 6 weeks, completed a battery of questionnaires including measures of social support (Sarason, Levine, Basham, & Sarason, 1983), coping skills (Smith, Smoll, & Ptacek, 1990), athletic identity (Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder, 1993), mood state (McNair, Lorr, & Droppleman, 1971), and physical self-esteem (Fox & Corbin, 1989). Results from multiple regression analysis revealed that individuals' satisfaction with their social support network was significantly related to mood disturbance with increased satisfaction leading to lower levels of mood disturbance. No other relationships were significant. Results are discussed within the context of cognitive appraisal models of adjustment in order to better understand the injury process.     

Adverse Life Events, Coping and Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors in Urban African American Youth

African American youth residing in low income urban neighborhoods are at increased risk of experiencing negative life events in multiple domains, increasing their risk for internalizing and externalizing behaviors. However, little is known about youth’s differential responses to life event stress, or protective processes and coping strategies for urban African American youth exposed to adverse life events. Thus, the present study examined whether variability in predominantly low income, urban African American youth’s responses to life event stress are accounted for by the type of life event experienced or the type of coping strategies used. Participants were a community sample of 353 urban African American youth (52.8 % girls; age range 8–12 years) who participated in the Multiple Opportunities to Reach Excellence (MORE) Project. Youth reported about their experiences with adverse life events, coping strategies, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results indicated that violent life events were uniquely associated with externalizing behavior, while discrimination and economic stress were uniquely associated with internalizing behavior. The utility of coping strategies varied by gender, such that avoiding problems was protective for girls who experienced violent life events, but not for boys. For boys, exposure to violence was significantly positively associated with externalizing symptoms regardless of the amount of avoiding problems coping used. Findings suggest that interventions to develop coping strategies may need to be gender-specific as well as tailored for the types of stressors common for low income urban youth.     

Stability of Religious Orientation and Academic Dishonesty

This study examines the probable influence of individual religiosity on academic cheating among a group of Seventh-day Adventist youth, grades 6 through 12. A multiple-regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between academic beliefs or behaviors and academic dishonesty. The following research questions were investigated: (1) Is there a relationship between students' religious experience or religious activities and academic honesty? (2) What religious variables influence academic honesty? and (3) What is the correlation between the stability of religious orientation and academic honesty? Although the final model proved to be statistically significant, the findings suggest no direct impact on academic honesty. The implications of this study and the influential factors are discussed.     

Child Characterization Sketch

The aim of this paper is to describe a novel method of eliciting and exploring the constructs that parents use to anticipate their children's behavior. The need for such a method arises from the inadequacies of alternative measures used in early intervention studies. The method is called the Child Characterization Sketch, in acknowledgment of the method of self-characterization first described by Kelly. The technique and subsequent analysis are described in detail to enable others to evaluate its potential. In the present paper its use is illustrated both from a counseling viewpoint and in relation to research questions concerning mothers of children with intellectual impairments. The results provide an exploratory consideration of the types of constructs mothers use and a comparison of mothers of children with or without intellectual impairment.     

Advocates Speak Out on Adult Sexual Assault: A Unique Crime Demands a Unique Response

Research documents the challenges presented to victims of sexual assault whose cases move through the criminal justice system. One key vantage point from which to understand how survivors experience the criminal justice system is from the perspective of the crisis center advocates who work with them. Graduate student research teams conducted semistructured interviews with rape crisis advocates across one Northeastern state. The voices of crisis center advocates raise key points that might help in the development of new procedures and processes for how adult sexual assault cases are handled in the justice system.