The Ninian Smart Archive and Bibliography

The late Professor Smart wrote extensively, at many different levels, on a wide variety of topics, with papers and articles appearing in a bewildering variety of publications worldwide. Previous bibliographies of his work have proved to be incomplete and inaccurate. An accurate, comprehensive bibliography is attempted here, along with a summary of the contents of the Ninian Smart Archive.     

Interdependence as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Competitiveness and Objective Sales Performance

In this study, we investigated the moderating role of interdependence (a personality trait that measures the extent to which individuals desire working in a group‐based, cooperative setting) on the relationship between competitiveness and one‐year objective sales performance. On the basis of data from 133 sales representatives, results indicated that: (a) competitiveness was related to objective sales performance; and (b) interdependence moderated the relationship between competitiveness and objective sales performance such that competitiveness predicted objective sales performance more strongly for those who scored low in interdependence versus those who scored high in interdependence. Implications for sales selection and reward systems and directions for future research are considered.     

Can a Connection to Culture Reduce Mental Illness Symptoms and Risk for Future Violence?

Recent policy initiatives and service provider strategic frameworks from the state of Victoria have highlighted intentions to invest in culturally safe practices for justice-involved Indigenous individuals. However, the culturally themed frameworks and protocols presented by health and justice organisations appear to be largely underpinned by theoretical and/or anecdotal evidence. This commentary summarises findings from the first Australian program of research to investigate the influence of cultural identity and cultural engagement on mental health symptoms and violence for Indigenous people in custody. Implications for correctional policy and forensic clinical practice are discussed in this article.     

Introduction to the Special Issue on Mental Health Self-Help

Since the 1950s, people with mental illness and their families have been organizing a wide range of self-directed, mutual support oriented initiatives, including self-help groups, nonprofit organizations, and businesses. These initiatives have become increasingly widespread over the years and today mental health self-help initiatives outnumber traditional mental health organizations in the United States (Goldstrom et al., Admin Policy Mental Health Mental Health Serv Res 33:92-103, 2006). Mental health self-help embodies much of what community psychologists promote, including the self-directed organization of people to create social change and facilitate personal transformation. This special issue provides new insight into several prominent areas of inquiry surrounding these low-cost interventions including: (1) their evidence base; (2) the processes by which people benefit; (3) how they interface with the mental health system; and (4) the value dilemmas they face.     

Moral Concerns and Consumer Choice of Fresh and Processed Organic Foods1

This study used the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine the impact of moral concerns on intention to buy organic apples and organic pizza. Initially, beliefs were elicited from a group of 30 people using a combination of the traditional TPB elicitation technique supplemented by direct questioning about emotions associated with the behavior. The questionnaire—which included measures of behavioral beliefs, attitudes, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and measures of moral norms (worded both positively and negatively)—was completed by 281 people. Multiple regressions showed that for both foods, the positive moral component added significantly to the prediction of intention, while negative ones did not. Also, affective attitude was a strong predictor of intention for both foods.     

Consultant or Comrade: Comments About Analysts' Working Relationships in Schools

The articles in this issue of the Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies pose a dilemma for educators. On the one hand, each article describes an important psychosocial intervention implemented in schools. On the other hand, these interventions, at least as described in the articles, are either imposed on the work of teachers and students or isolated from that work. Either circumstance ultimately limits the impact of the intervention. I claim that analysts and teachers are natural allies despite lack of evidence for alliance in these articles. To extend that alliance beyond conversations about individual children, analysts must understand that teachers' views of learning and development are different from those that influence the organization and management of schools.     

The Dimensional Structure of the Perceived Behavioral Control Construct1

Following concerns in the literature about the conceptualization and operationalization of the perceived behavioral control (PBC) construct within the Theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985, 1991). 2 studies were conducted to examine whether questionnaire items explicitly assessing perceived difficulty and perceived control issues would attract a different pattern of responses. In applications of the theory of planned behavior to the reduction of red meat consumption and the reduction of potato chip (French fries) consumption, Principal Components Analysis showed that items reflecting perceived difficulty and items reflecting perceived control loaded onto different components. Furthermore, measures of perceived difficulty and not measures of perceived control contributed independent predictive effects in multiple regressions of respondents' behavioral intentions to make the dietary changes.     

PBCB: A norming of the spanish translation of the Boehm test of Basic Concepts

The Boehm Test of Basic Concepts (BTBC) was designed to measure children's mastery of concepts considered necessary for achievement in the first years of school. The test is group administered, and is appropriate for use with children in the first three grades: kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. The test has been demonstrated to be a valid and reliable measure when administered in English. Prueba Boehm de Conceptos Basicos (PBCB), a Spanish translation of the test, was administered to 1,292 children three times in public and private schools in Puerto Rico during the 1979–1981 school years. Normative information, reported by type of school, by grade, and by time of year tested is presented. The reliability of PBCB was established. The test was shown to have predictive validity as well, correlating with measures of academic achievement one year following the end-of-year administration of the PBCB.     

EEG correlates of sustained attention: Hemispheric and sex differences

Subjects were presented with sets of four digits, and had to respond only when all the digits in a set were odd. The EEG was measured from occipital-parietal derivations over the left and right hemispheres, and the energy within each of five frequency bands was integrated over 3-sec epochs corresponding to the presentation of individual sets of digits. The EEG abundance was found to be lower the more a digit set resembled a signal, but hemisphere differences in this effect tended to be small and to occur only in certain frequency bands. The effect for stimulus type changed over time in some frequency bands, but there were no differences between the hemispheres in this change. Nor were sex differences in lateralization found. Reaction time was found to correlate positively with (a) EEG abundance, and (b) EEG differentiation of stimuli, in the theta and low alpha frequency bands.