Survey of the Use of Crisis Intervention Centers by the Black Population*

ABSTRACT: In an attempt to determine the extent to which crisis centers meet the needs of black communities, questionnaires were sent to 12 centers. Responses were received from six. Only two centers, in Nashville and Washington, D.C., had statistics of callers identified by race. The findings from these two centers indicate that there are differences between the white and black callers with regard to age, marital status, and type of problem. As an example, the typical black male caller was older and more concerned about his job and financial problems than were white males. This kind of information suggests a need for expanded services within the crisis center framework, possibly for a more preventive approach. More data gathering concerning the black community using crisis centers is urged in order better to identify the needs of this population and the methods to be used for meeting those needs.     

The toll of ethnic discrimination on sleep architecture and fatigue.

Most work on ethnicity tends to focus on daytime health rather than how aspects of ethnicity affect nighttime functioning. The current study examined how discrimination and ethnic identity relate to sleep architecture and fatigue in 37 African Americans and 56 Caucasian Americans. The authors conducted sleep monitoring with standard polysomnography. African Americans had less slow-wave sleep and reported more physical fatigue than did Caucasian Americans (ps < .05). The authors conducted path analyses to examine relationships between ethnic identity, perceived discrimination, sleep, and fatigue. Perceived discrimination mediated ethnic differences in Stage 4 sleep and physical fatigue. Individuals who reported experiencing more discrimination had less Stage 4 sleep and reported experiencing greater physical fatigue (ps < .05). Although ethnic identity did not mediate ethnic differences in sleep latency, there was a significant relationship between ethnic identity and sleep latency, indicating that individuals who felt more connected to their ethnic group had more difficulty falling asleep while in the hospital (p < .05). These observations suggest that the effects of stress related to one's ethnic group membership carry over into sleep.     

Cross-lagged Models of Marital Relationships and Intergenerational Conflicts during Transition to Parenthood: Effect of Patrilineal Coresidence

The transition to parenthood is one of the most stressful intra- and interpersonal adjustment periods for new parents. Bidirectional associations among intergenerational relationships during the transition to parenthood have received limited attention, and the complexity of reciprocal relationships varies in accordance with living arrangements. The objectives of this study were to explore (1) the bidirectional associations between marital relationships and conflicts with in-laws during the transition to parenthood and (2) the moderation of patrilineal coresidence on the aforementioned relationships. A three-wave prospective longitudinal design was adopted for 359 married mothers. The Dyadic Adjustment Scale and Stryker Adjustment Checklist were used to assess marital relationships and conflicts with parents-in-law. Cross-lagged panel analysis was applied to examine reciprocal relationships, and multigroup analyses were employed to determine whether these relationships exhibited different patterns in accordance with the individuals’ living arrangements. The two cross-lagged models revealed the presence of a bidirectional relationship between marital distress and conflicts with parents-in-law during the mid- to late pregnancy stages. Meanwhile, the multigroup analyses suggested that conflicts with parents-in-law triggered marital distress during pregnancy in the coresidence group, whereas conflicts with fathers-in-law could intensify marital distress during late pregnancy to the postpartum period in the noncoresidence group. These findings shed light on cross-lagged associations with intergenerational conflicts. Healthcare professionals need to ensure that intergenerational relationships are positive during the transition to parenthood. This study enriches our understanding of the effect of patrilineal coresidence and can guide the future development of interventions based on culturally specific multidimensional approaches.     

Contributions of positive behavior support amid lingering questions over its relationship with behavior analysis: A review of Positive behavior supports for adults with disabilities in employment,community, and residential settings by Storey and Post

Positive Behavior Supports for Adults with Disabilities in Employment, Community, and Residential Settings by Keith Storey and Michal Post (2019) presents valuable information for support providers and clinicians working with adults in inclusive settings who display challenging behavior. Numerous examples of challenging behavior encountered in such settings are provided along with a multitude of interventions for addressing the behavior in ways that comport with the values of positive behavior support (PBS). This review highlights contributions of the Storey and Post book and considers the content in regard to the controversial relationship between PBS and applied behavior analysis (ABA). The authors specify ABA as the foundation of PBS, but questions linger about the exact PBS–ABA relationship that will likely affect the book's ultimate contribution. Concern over the relationship is illustrated in regard to qualifications of behavioral professionals whom the authors often refer to as being necessary to help support providers develop and implement PBS interventions.     

A preliminary evaluation of treatment duration on the resurgence of destructive behavior

Quantitative models of resurgence (e.g., Behavioral Momentum Theory, Resurgence as Choice) suggest that resurgence is partly a function of the duration of extinction exposure, with longer histories of extinction producing less resurgence. This prediction is supported by some laboratory research and has been partially supported by clinical translations that did not isolate the effects of extinction exposure prior to testing for resurgence. The degree to which different histories of extinction impact the likelihood of treatment relapse in therapeutic applications of differential reinforcement is of great interest to the clinical community, including insurance carriers and other financial providers. In the present study, we isolated the effects of extinction history for severe destructive behavior across 6 participants referred for treatment services and examined resurgence of destructive behavior when alternative reinforcement terminated. Our within-subject evaluation showed no difference in the level of resurgence or persistence of destructive behavior following short and long exposures to differential reinforcement with extinction. We discuss our failure to replicate in relation to experimental-design considerations for investigating this and other relapse phenomena in future research with clinical populations.     

Robots as Malevolent Moral Agents: Harmful Behavior Results in Dehumanization,Not Anthropomorphism

A robot's decision to harm a person is sometimes considered to be the ultimate proof of it gaining a human-like mind. Here, we contrasted predictions about attribution of mental capacities from moral typecasting theory, with the denial of agency from dehumanization literature. Experiments 1 and 2 investigated mind perception for intentionally and accidentally harmful robotic agents based on text and image vignettes. Experiment 3 disambiguated agent intention (malevolent and benevolent), and additionally varied the type of agent (robotic and human) using short computer-generated animations. Harmful robotic agents were consistently imbued with mental states to a lower degree than benevolent agents, supporting the dehumanization account. Further results revealed that a human moral patient appeared to suffer less when depicted with a robotic agent than with another human. The findings suggest that future robots may become subject to human-like dehumanization mechanisms, which challenges the established beliefs about anthropomorphism in the domain of moral interactions.