Distracted by Details: Narrative Influence Following Conflicting Stories

Work on narrative influence has demonstrated that stories can have a strong effect on people's thoughts and attitudes. However, existing research has not addressed how people respond to multiple stories endorsing different conclusions. The current studies examined how reading two conflicting narratives influences people's decisions about a subsequent situation, with particular emphasis on how resemblances between the narratives and the situation moderate the effects. Across two studies, participants read two testimonials that described the successful use of different treatments for a medical disorder. Participants subsequently made treatment recommendations for a patient who resembled one of the testimonials in treatment-relevant ways. The key manipulation was whether the patient also resembled the other testimonial in treatment-irrelevant ways. Both studies found that these distracting, irrelevant similarities led to less appropriate treatment recommendations. The effect on decision confidence, however, was less clear, with some suggestion of both an increase (Study 1) and a decrease (Study 2) in confidence.     

Refocusing on the Data: A Reply to Hardman

Hardman in press claims that the results of Green and Larking 1995 favour a mental rules theory account of performance in the selection task over a mental model theory account. This reply rebuts his claim.     

Spiritual care in psychiatry: Professionals’ views

In this study we explored the views of Mental Health professionals and general practitioners (GPs) regarding spiritual care and the effect of personal and cultural background on their views. Data were collected through anonymous questionnaires posted to hospital nursing and medical staff at Hollins Park Hospital, Warrington, UK, and to all GPs within the hospital catchments area. Forty-five percent of GPs, 33% of psychiatrists, and 76% of nursing staff (p < 0.05) felt strongly that human beings are made up of spirit as well as body. More nurses felt that spiritual care is equally as important as other forms of care (52%) compared with psychiatrists (33%) and GPs (29%). A higher percentage of nursing than medical staff had previous training in this area and were more likely than medical staff to consider themselves appropriate to give spiritual advice. A total of 20% of GPs and 33% of psychiatric staff stated the need for training in this area and GPs especially felt they lacked time. Professionals’ views are influenced by cultural and religious backgrounds, with significantly more non-UK born respondents feeling strongly that human beings all have a spiritual component. Many doctors do not consider spiritual care has a role for them to be involved in and many feel too pressured in daily life to take this on. Nurses are more inclined to take a holistic approach to care in this respect. Some people with mental health problems have spiritual care needs and we should be aware of this as an important facet to therapy.     

A review of: “Real events revisited: Fantasy,memory and psychoanalysis”

Ann Scott (1996) Real Events Revisited: Fantasy, Memory and Psychoanalysis, London: Virago, $12.99

Caroline Malone, Linda Farthing and Lorraine Marce (eds) (1996) The Memory Bird: Survivors of Sexual Abuse, London: Virago, $8.99     

A review of: “Challenges to counselling and psychotherapy”

Alex Howard (1996) Challenges to Counselling and Psychotherapy, London: Macmillan, $11.99     

Improvements to Suicide Prevention Training for Prison Staff in England and Wales

Suicide prevention training for the prison service in England and Wales has been criticized. STORM is a package emphasizing the practice and review of interactions with suicidal persons and was evaluated in a pilot study for use in prisons. Trainees completed questionnaires immediately before and after training and at 6 to 8 months follow‐up. Training significantly improved attitudes, knowledge, and confidence, and improvements were maintained at follow‐up. Satisfaction with training was very high. STORM was successfully adapted for prison settings, and showed good effects among staff trained. It should be provided to the wider prison estate, with regular refresher training.     

Importance of fathers' parenting to African-American toddler's social and cognitive development

The present study examined the degree to which parenting attitudes and behavior (i.e., self-reported warmth, restrictiveness, and behavioral sensitivity as assessed during a freeplay session) were related to toddlers' development. Results showed a restrictive attitude was negatively related to social and cognitive development, whereas paternal sensitivity was positively related to aspects of social development that are less dependent on language skills (e.g., motor and daily living skills). Fathers of girls exhibited greater sensitivity in their freeplay interactions than fathers of boys. More globally, the present research demonstrates important relations between the parenting attitudes and behavior of low- to working-income African-American fathers and young children's development, and similarities to White, middle-income fathers.