Mindfulness and Self-Compassion: Exploring Pathways to Adolescent Emotional Well-Being

Adolescents today are confronted with the compounded stressors of life in our high-pressured society and the cognitive, physiological, and emotional changes characteristic of this stage of development. To explore ways to promote well-being in this population, mindfulness, defined as paying attention in the moment in an intentional and purposeful way, was examined in terms of its associations with aspects of emotional well being. It has been reported to have positive effects on emotional well-being in adults, and shows promise for similar results in research with youth. Moreover, the mechanisms through which being mindful may influence positive outcomes have only recently been explored, and have not been investigated with adolescents. Self-compassion, defined by the three components of self-kindness, sensing oneself as part of a common humanity, and maintaining perspective in challenging circumstances, was examined as a potential mediator of the relationship of mindfulness to various outcome measures. Measures assessing mindfulness, self-compassion, and aspects of emotional well-being comprised an online survey that was administered to 67 adolescents in an urban high school. Path analysis was utilized to explore relationships among the variables. An alternate model with self-compassion as the predictor and mindfulness as the mediator was also investigated. Results suggested that both mindfulness and self-compassion functioned as mediators in the pathway to emotional well-being. A theorized model is presented which depicts a reciprocal relationship between mindfulness and self-compassion and describes an iterative process that takes place between these two constructs, promoting emotional well-being. Implications for research and practice include conducting longitudinal studies, which assess constructs at three time points to definitively establish mediation, and developing a self-compassion program tailored for adolescents to facilitate improvements in emotional well-being.     

Michael J. Dodds,O.P. Unlocking Divine Action: Contemporary Science & Thomas Aquinas

Abstract

Philosopher and theologian William Lane Craig has argued for the past-finitude of the world, employing contemporary cosmology in support of the Kalam cosmological argument for the existence of a First Cause. However, his argument has gained little traction in the world of interdisciplinary theology. In what follows, we present Craig's argument and entertain potential objections from the perspective of interdisciplinarians. Finally, we argue that, in spite of the potential objections raised by contemporary theologians, Craig's argument remains theologically pertinent—provided his conclusion is framed within the more modest methodology of a best explanation.     

HIV voluntary counselling and testing among recently initiated and traditionally circumcised men in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) is a cornerstone of the national strategic plan for HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support in South Africa. However, research shows that the utilisation of VCT services is disappointingly low, particular among males. This article focuses on the factors associated with the intention to test for HIV-infection among recently initiated and traditionally circumcised men in the rural areas of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted among 1656 sexually active men. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between intention to test for HIV and psychosocial factors. Overall, 35.1% of the participants reported ever having tested for HIV. Intention to test for HIV was positively associated with perceived probability of getting an STI, positive attitudes towards gender-based violence, received general teachings about being a responsible man and highest grade passed. These findings provide specific information that can be used in the development of a focused cultural sensitive STI/HIV prevention programme aimed to increase VCT uptake among sexually active young men, which can be integrated into initiation and health education practices.     

Relationship of Sex of Examiner to Incidence of Rorschach Responses with Sexual Content

This article focuses on clinical and research problems associated with response frequency (R) being a variable in the Rorschach. Despite the fact that variations in R directly contribute to 50% of the explainable variance among Rorschach raw scores, there is a dearth of empirical evidence to document what R actually measures. Furthermore, in the practical use of the Rorschach's structural data, R is considered to be a nuisance variable that is controlled and not deemed interpretively significant. Given this information, two research agendas are proposed. The first is to more thoroughly determine whether R measures anything of substantial clinical importance. The second is to evaluate systematically the relative merits of making R a constant rather than a variable through use of an R-controlled method of Rorschach administration. This strategy would resolve many of the psychometric problems related to R. Introducing greater structure and clearer expectations to the task may also sharpen the Rorschach's ability to assess and predict important aspects of personality. However, significant disadvantages would also result from this change in administration. Both sides of the issue are discussed in some detail.     

Going beyond the facts: Young children extend knowledge by integrating episodes

The major question posed in this research was whether 4- and 6-year-olds productively extend their knowledge by integrating information acquired in separate episodes. The vehicle was a read-aloud activity during which children were presented with a novel fact in each of two passages. In Experiment 1, both age groups showed evidence of integration between the passages. For the 6-year-olds, the evidence came in the form of responses to open-ended questions. The 4-year-olds recognized the correct answers but did not generate them in the open-ended question format. The 6-year-olds who generated the correct answers also were likely to recall both of the individual facts presented in the passages. In Experiment 2, we tested whether the 4-year-olds’ integration performance would improve if their memory for the individual facts improved. Extra exposure to the individual facts resulted in higher levels of integration performance in both recall and recognition testing. The roles of memory and other potential sources of age-related differences in integration performance are discussed.     

The Theology of Jean Daniélou: Epochs,Correspondences, and the Orders of the Real

After a survey of the life and work of Jean Daniélou considered as the classic theologian of twentieth century 'ressourcement', his theological method is explored under three headings: 'epochs' indicates his reliance on the theology of history as developed by 'biblical theology'; 'correspondences' his cosmic aesthetics, indebted to French Symbolism, and invoked theologically by way of typology; 'orders' his Pascalian emphasis on a distinction between levels of reality and the variety of epistemological approaches they require. The article concludes by applying Daniélou's method, so understood, to the heart of his theological doctrine, his account of God in Jesus Christ.     

The Order of Dominance Among Conceptual Capacities: An Experimental Test of Heidbreder'S Hypothesis

College freshmen in an educational opportunity program were trained in an orientation program by behavior rehearsal techniques to cope with the social demands of some in-class and out-of-class situations. At the end of their freshman year, data were available on 48 male and 51 female black students and 23 male and 21 female white students. Trainees earned better grades than controls on the campus where training was offered but not at smaller branch campuses. Results suggest the importance of para-academic skills of meeting assignments and knowing when, where, and how to seek help. Academic performance may be enhanced by training in campus and classroom social skills.