Detecting true and false opinions: The Devil's Advocate approach as a lie detection aid

We examined the efficacy of a new approach to detect truths and lies in expressing opinions: the Devil's Advocate approach. Interviewees are first asked an opinion eliciting question that asks participants to argue in favour of their personal view. This is followed by a Devil's Advocate question that asks participants to argue against their personal view. People normally think more about reasons that support rather than oppose their opinion. Therefore we expected truth tellers to provide more information and shorter latency times in their responses to the opinion eliciting question than to the Devil's Advocate question. Liars are expected to reveal the opposite pattern as the Devil's Advocate question is more compatible with their beliefs than is the opinion eliciting question. In Experiment 1, we interviewed seventeen truth tellers and liars via the Devil's Advocate approach and measured the difference in number of words and latency times to the two questions. Our hypotheses were supported. In Experiment 2, 25 observers were shown these interviews, and made qualitative judgements about the statements. Truth tellers' opinion eliciting answers were seen as more immediate and plausible and revealed more emotional involvement than their Devil's Advocate answers. No clear differences emerged in liars' answers to the two types of question. We conclude that the Devil's Advocate approach is a promising lie detection approach that deserves attention in future research.     

Sylvia Walsh: Kierkegaard and Religion: Personality,Character, and Virtue

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion -     

Age-based stereotype threat and negative outcomes in the workplace: Exploring the role of identity integration

Previous studies have shown that the presence of age-based stereotypes in the workplace is often associated with lower levels of work engagement and adjustment among older employees. This study examines possible mediators and moderators of this relationship using data from a sample of 2,348 older (age > 50) employees at the Italian national rail company. We test a model in which the effects of age-based stereotype threat on organizational involvement, future time perspective, and psychological well-being are mediated by work–age identity integration (how much individuals see their age and organizational identities as compatible and blended). Secondly, we explored whether these effects are moderated by gender and job status. Results indicate that age-based stereotypes are associated with negative outcomes for employees’ work and personal adjustment, and that these relationships are partially mediated by variations in work–age identity integration.     

Pilot Effectiveness of a Stress Management Program for Sheltered Homeless Adults With Mental Illness: A Two-Group Controlled Study

This study examined the effectiveness of a stress management intervention for sheltered homeless adults with mental illness. Twelve intervention participants received a 6-week, 1-hour psychoeducation group combined with a 20-minute meditation. Eleven matched pairs did not receive intervention and served as controls. At 1 week post study, intervention participants reported a statistically significant reduction in perceived stress (Z=??2.285, p < .02, d=??1.176) compared to controls. No differences were found at 1 week post study between intervention and control participants on reported quality of life. This study provides pilot data on the effectiveness of an occupation-based stress management program for sheltered homeless adults and warrants further study.     

Enhancing Outcomes for Struggling Readers: Empirical Analysis of The Fluency Development Lesson

This study investigated the efficacy of the Fluency Development Lesson (FDL) in improving reading achievement in primary grade struggling readers. 30 readers, enrolled in a summer reading clinic, participated in daily 40-min mini-reading lessons across 5 weeks. During the fluency lessons, readers practiced and developed their literacy skills through participation in repeated readings, word work, rehearsal, and performance. Assessments measured comprehension, reading fluency, including word recognition accuracy, reading speed, and prosody. Control students also took the pre- and post-intervention tests; their performance did not change with repeated testing. The Fluency Development Lesson students showed significant gains on all measures.     

Everyday executive function in focal onset pediatric epilepsy on the parent-report BRIEF2

Executive function (EF) difficulties are a core neuropsychological feature of pediatric epilepsy, and parent-report measures of EF concerns are an important complement to task-based EF measures. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) has shown sensitivity to parent-reported EF concerns in epilepsy and other pediatric populations. We compared profiles of parent-reported EF concerns using the BRIEF and its revision, the BRIEF2, in 117 pediatric patients with focal onset epilepsy to examine the clinical utility of the revised scale. We then compared BRIEF2 profiles between patients and age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Among patients, profiles on the BRIEF did not globally differ from the BRIEF2, and agreement was very good across scales. Patients and controls differed significantly on the BRIEF2, with patients showing higher EF difficulties reported by parents across most scales. High rates of clinical elevation among patients emerged on the Task Monitor, Plan/Organize, Working Memory, and Shift scales. Younger age of epilepsy onset, chronic epilepsy, and right hemisphere seizure focus were associated with higher parent-reported EF concerns. Findings suggest that the BRIEF2 demonstrates similar performance to the BRIEF among pediatric patients with focal onset epilepsy who are most at risk in the areas of task monitoring, working memory, planning and organization, and flexibility. These findings are informative when comparing literature across versions and provide additional insight into the nature of parent-reported EF difficulties among children with focal onset epilepsy.     

Doxastic Compatibilism and the Ethics of Belief

Philosophical Studies -     

School Violence, Depression, and Suicide

The spread of endemic school violence in the United States from urban black, Hispanic, and other minority areas to white suburbia and smaller communities has alarmed the nation. Contrary to common belief, the incidence of school violence has been fairly stable except in the areas of violence against females and gang membership. The culture of violence and easy availability of guns is a major contributing factor. The relationship between school violence, suicidality and psychiatric disorders, specifically depressive disorders, conduct disorder, and alcohol and drug abuse are discussed within the framework of the psychological autopsy of suicide in children and adolescents. There are striking similarities between acts of school violence and suicidality. Specific guidelines are provided regarding clinical assessment of potentially violent youth with emphasis on exploration of attachment behavior in various developmental stages.