Imaginal correlates of self-reported fear and avoidance behavior

Two analogue studies explored the relationship between the content of subjects' imagery and both behavioral avoidance and self-reports of fear. In the first study, reports of aversive imagery in a fearful situation were much more frequent among high- as compared to low-avoidance subjects. Reports of aversive imagery were found significantly associated with both fear and avoidance behavior. In the second study, findings were extended, indicating that imagery content is associated with fear and avoidance when subjects imagine themselves in a fearful situation as well as when they are actually in one. This suggested some degree of functional equivalence between imagined and real situations. However, no relationship was found between image clarity and either fear or avoidance. Since imagery appears to play an important role in mediating fearful behavior, manipulation of imagery might serve as an effective treatment strategy.     

The Influence of Contextual Factors on Afro-American and Euro-American Children's Performance: Effects of Movement Opportunity and Music

The present study sought to further establish that contextual factors informed by certain postulated cultural experiences could influence performance on a learning task. Towards this end, low income Afro-American and Euro-American children learned to pair pictures in an acquisition context that allowed for them to coordinate movement with music (High Movement Expressive [HME]) and in an acquisition context which allowed for little movement opportunity and no music (Low Movement Expressive [LME]). Children were subsequently tested for picture pair retention in a context where music was present or in a context where music was absent. The findings revealed that Afro-American children's tested performance was superior with the HME acquisition context, while Euro-American children's performance was superior with the LME context. In addition, music present at testing context seemed to have an independent enhancing effect only on Afro-American children's performance. The cultural and educational implications of these findings are discussed as are recommendations for future research.     

Male Reference Group Identity Dependence: Support for Construct Validity

This research study examined correlates of male identity statuses as postulated in Wade's (1998) theory of male reference group identity dependence. The Reference Group Identity Dependence Scale (RGIDS; Wade & Gelso, 1998) was correlated with measures of identity aspects (personal, social, and collective), belongingness, and a universal-diverse orientation. Based on the responses of 172 predominantly middle-class undergraduate college men (59% White, 15% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 13% African American, 4% Hispanic, and 9% other race/ethnicity, e.g., biracial, Arab American, Egyptian American), as predicted, the No Reference Group status negatively related to collective identity and social connectedness; the Reference Group Dependent status positively related to social identity and social connectedness; and the Reference Group Nondependent status positively related to personal identity, collective identity, social connectedness, and a universal-diverse orientation toward others.     

Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms following traumatic brain injuries in children.

The prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms following childhood traumatic brain injuries (TBI) were examined using data drawn from a prospective longitudinal study. Participants included 38 children with severe TBI, 51 with moderate TBI, and 55 with orthopedic injuries (OI). Assessments occurred shortly after injury (baseline) and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Children completed the Child Depression Inventory (CDI). Parents rated depressive symptoms using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBC), with baseline ratings reflecting premorbid status. Assessments also included measures of children's neurocognitive functioning and the family environment. The three groups did not differ overall in self-reported symptoms on the CDI, but did display different trends over time. The three groups did not differ on parent ratings of premorbid depressive symptoms on the CBC, but parents reported more depressive symptoms in the TBI groups than in the OI group at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Child and parent reports were correlated for children in the TBI groups, but not for those in the OI group. Depressive symptoms were related to socioeconomic status in all groups. Socioeconomic status also was a significant moderator of group differences, such that the effects of TBI were exacerbated in children from more disadvantaged homes. Although self-reports of depressive symptoms were related inconsistently to children's verbal memory, parent reports of depressive symptoms were unrelated to IQ or verbal memory. The findings suggest that TBI increases the risk of depressive symptoms, especially among more socially disadvantaged children, and that depressive symptoms are not strongly related to post-injury neurocognitive deficits.     

Imagination inflation is a fact, not an artifact: A reply to Pezdek and Eddy

Pezdek and Eddy (2001) claim to prove that imagination inflation is a spurious effect caused by regression to the mean (RTM). They make four predictions about what patterns of data would demonstrate a genuine effect for imagination versus those that would be explainable by RTM. We review each of those predictions, and demonstrate significant problems with them. We conclude that imagination inflation is a genuine effect, and that Pezdek and Eddy’s work has contributed to the growing research showing that when people imagine fictitious events from long ago, they become more confident that those false events were genuine experiences.     

Women and Salary Negotiation: The Costs of Self-Advocacy

Introducing the concepts of self- and other-advocacy should prove useful as a means of understanding the different contexts in which women and men can effectively and comfortably exert power and influence when making requests. In this conceptual paper, social psychological research is reviewed demonstrating that women can advocate effectively on behalf of others without incurring costs, but gender-linked stereotypes, roles, and norms constrain them from advocating as freely and effectively for themselves. It is argued that women do not frequently make requests for themselves, because they have learned that they may ultimately lose more than they gain. This gendered difference has implications for ongoing pay and promotion inequities.     

Racial socialization, racial identity, and Black students' adjustment to college

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of racial socialization and racial identity on adjustment in Black college students. Self-report questionnaires were administered to 141 Black college students from a predominantly White university and racially diverse college. The findings suggest that racial socialization positively contributes to academic adjustment. An internalized-multicultural identity positively contributed to overall college adjustment, and pre-encounter miseducated racial identity negatively contributed. Internalized Afrocentric racial identity was negatively related to overall college adjustment. Implications for multicultural social scientists and directions for future research are discussed.     

The interaction of perfectionism, perceived weight status, and self-esteem to predict bulimic symptoms: the role of 'benign' perfectionism

The present study sought to replicate an interactive model of global perfectionism, perceived weight status, and self-esteem in predicting bulimic symptom development in a sample of young women [Bardone-Cone, et al. (2006). Predicting bulimic symptoms: An interactive model of self-efficacy, perfectionism, and perceived weight status. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 27-42; Vohs, K. D., et al. (1999). Perfectionism, perceived weight status, and self-esteem interact to predict bulimic symptoms: A model of bulimic symptom development. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 108, 695-700; Vohs, K. D., et al. (2001). Perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, and self-esteem: An interactive model of bulimic symptom development. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20, 476-497]. The aim was to investigate the role of 'problematic' and 'benign' perfectionism within this model, using data from 95 female university students over a 3-month period. Contrary to hypotheses, multivariate analyses revealed a significant three-way interaction only between 'benign' perfectionism, perceived weight status and self-esteem in predicting change in bulimic symptoms over a 3-month period. The predictive effect of the interaction between 'benign' perfectionism and perceived weight status on bulimic symptoms was strongest for women with high self-esteem, for whom feeling overweight and having perfectionistic attitudes preceded increased bulimic symptoms. These findings suggest that high self-esteem is insufficient to protect against the development of bulimic symptoms when both the perception of oneself as being overweight, and high levels of perfectionistic standards, are present. It would appear that the role of perfectionism within the context of disordered eating is complex.     

The relation between risk factors for binge eating and bulimia nervosa: a population-based female twin study.

This study investigated the differential risk factors for the initiation of binge eating and the transition from binge eating to bulimia nervosa. Women from a population-based twin registry (850 complete pairs) were assessed with respect to specific measured variables (including demographics, religiosity, lifetime psychopathology, current symptomatology, and personality) and latent genetic and environmental variables. Because of the relative rarity of bulimia nervosa, statistical power was low, but findings suggested considerable overlap between the genetic risk factors for the development of binge eating and the genetic risk factors for the transition from binge eating to bulimia nervosa. Genetic risk factors for binge eating and bulimia nervosa may be largely similar, whereas nonshared environment may be important in influencing the risk for bulimia nervosa once binge eating is initiated.