Conflict-Related Stimuli as Elicitors of Selected Physiological Responses

Combining and extending previous conceptions of the construct of perceived control, a self-report measure based on a proposed multidimensional model was developed and validated. The Belief in Personal Control Scale (BPCS), measures of locus of control, depression, mania, anxiety, self-esteem, and social desirability were administered to several samples. A factor analysis revealed three interpretable components of the control construct: a general External Control factor, an Exaggerated Internal Control factor, and a God-Mediated Control factor. The results of this article provide preliminary support for the model and for the BPCS as a multidimensional measure of perceived control with reliable and valid subscales. Consistent with the proposed model of control, the three factors correlated differentially with the various measures of psychological adjustment. Of particular interest is the positive correlation between the Exaggerated Internal Control factor and a measure of mania.     

Normative data for the revised Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist — Parent form (MCBC-P)

Normative data are presented for the parent form of the revised Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist (MCBC-P) for a predominantly white sample of 9- to 14-year-old boys and girls. Boys and girls who have been referred to clinics because of behavior problems are found to have significantly deviant scores on six of the seven scales of the MCBC-P.     

Perspective taking in children's narratives about jealousy

This study explored relationships between perspective‐taking, emotion understanding, and children's narrative abilities. Younger (23 5‐/6‐year‐olds) and older (24 7‐/8‐year‐olds) children generated fictional narratives, using a wordless picture book, about a frog experiencing jealousy. Children's emotion understanding was assessed through a standardized test of emotion comprehension and their ability to convey the jealousy theme of the story. Perspective‐taking ability was assessed with respect to children's use of narrative evaluation (i.e., narrative coherence, mental state language, supplementary evaluative speech, use of subjective language, and placement of emotion expression). Older children scored higher than younger children on emotion comprehension and on understanding the story's complex emotional theme, including the ability to identify a rival. They were more advanced in perspective‐taking abilities, and selectively used emotion expressions to highlight story episodes. Subjective perspective taking and narrative coherence were predictive of children's elaboration of the jealousy theme. Use of supplementary evaluative speech, in turn, was predictive of both subjective perspective taking and narrative coherence.     

You Can Get Here From There

We introduce 3 studies of the empirical correlates of the MMPI–2 Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales: a study by Arbisi, Sellbom, and Ben-Porath (2008/this issue) that expands the range of correlates of the RC scale in mental health settings; an investigation by Sellbom, Ben-Porath, Baum, Erez, and Gregory (2008/this issue) of the empirical correlates of the scales in a forensic setting; and a study by Forbey and Ben-Porath (2008/this issue) examining convergent and discriminant validities of the RC scale in a nonclinical setting. To serve as a general introduction to the 3 new empirical studies presented in this special section, we begin with a review of the existing literature on the RC scales and briefly describe these studies.     

Connecting the dots: children's use of a systematic figure to facilitate mapping and search

Organizing locations into a systematic figure was predicted to facilitate children's use of spatial relations in a mapping task. In Study 1, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds used a map to find a sticker hidden under 1 of 27 locations. The search locations formed a systematic figure, the outline of a dog. Half of the children were shown that the locations formed a dog. Seeing the dog pattern facilitated the performance of 5-year-olds but not that of the younger children. Study 2 indicated that children had to see a systematic figure to gain an advantage; adding lines to an unsystematic figure did not convey an advantage. Study 3 indicated that a verbal label alone could not convey an advantage. Study 4 revealed that seeing the dog pattern could also facilitate performance when the map was rotated relative to the represented space. The importance of organizing spatial information to facilitate relational thinking and mapping is discussed.     

The Mainline Sidelined: The Sociology of Religion Unbound

This paper examines an expanding focus in the content of what members of SSSR study and show how this change is reflected in the publications in the journal. I offer four factors that might effect what we study: changes in the world, changes in who we are, changes in funding sources, and changes in the theoretical frames. I discuss the “cultural turn” as new theoretical frame, which has had important implications for the study of religion. 1 then return to the question of changes in the world. I end with my expectation that we will see greater yet inclusiveness in the future.     

Spillover between mothers' postdivorce relationships: The mediating role of parenting stress

This study examined the differences and associations between divorced mothers' relationships with their ex‐partners and with their children, and investigated whether this association is mediated by mothers' experience of parenting stress. A questionnaire was completed by 117 divorced single mothers and 64 remarried mothers. Results show that the single mothers and the remarried mothers did not differ on postdivorce family relationship quality or on their experience of parenting stress. Furthermore, divorced mothers' relationship with their ex‐partners was found to be associated with the quality of the mother–child relationship, but not when controlling for mothers' experience of parenting stress. The results show that maternal parenting stress mediates the association between conflicts between ex‐partners and the quality of the mother–child relationship.