Accountability for others,perceived resources,and well being: Convergent restricted non‐linear results in two samples

This two‐sample investigation examined the influence of perceived resources on the form and magnitude of the relationships between accountability for others (AFO) and job tension and job satisfaction. Employing resource theory, we hypothesized that the non‐linear relationship between AFO and job tension would surface only for individuals high in perceived resources, whereas the association between these constructs would be positive and linear for individuals low in perceived resources. A similar relationship was hypothesized for AFO and job satisfaction in which the non‐linear effect would arise for individuals high in perceived resources, and negative linear effects would emerge for those low in perceived resources. Data from two samples (N= 201; N= 182) provided support and replication for the hypotheses. Implications of the results and directions for future research are discussed.     

Depression is not an inevitable outcome of disclosure avoidance: HIV stigma and mental health in a cohort of HIV-infected individuals from Southern India

Previous research has shown that HIV stigma in India can be characterized by a framework dividing manifestations into enacted (discrimination), vicarious (hearing stories of discrimination), felt normative (perceptions of stigma's prevalence), and internalized stigma (personal endorsement of stigma beliefs). We examined whether this framework could explain associations among stigma, efforts to avoid HIV serostatus disclosure, and depression symptoms in a cohort of 198 HIV-infected individuals from Southern India who were followed up for one year as part of a study of antiretroviral adherence. Prior studies had suggested that disclosure avoidance was a primary outcome of stigma and that impaired well-being was a primary outcome of disclosure avoidance. Analyses from our longitudinal research revealed that the pattern of associations among stigma, disclosure avoidance, and depression symptoms remained consistent over time. Enacted and vicarious stigmas were correlated with felt normative stigma beliefs. In turn, felt normative stigma was correlated with disclosure avoidance. And, enacted stigma, internalized stigma, and disclosure avoidance were all associated with depression symptoms. However, even though the overall framework held together, internalized stigma and depression symptoms dropped significantly over time while other components remained unchanged. These findings suggest that, although HIV stigma may limit disclosure, it does not invariably lead to psychological maladjustment. Amidst ongoing perceptions and experiences of stigma, HIV-positive individuals can achieve significant improvements in their acceptance of the disease and in mental well-being.     

Stanford-Binet and WAIS IQ differences and their implications for adults with intellectual disability (aka mental retardation)

Stanford-Binet and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) IQs were compared for a group of 74 adults with intellectual disability (ID). In every case, WAIS Full Scale IQ was higher than the Stanford-Binet Composite IQ, with a mean difference of 16.7 points. These differences did not appear to be due to the lower minimum possible score for the Stanford-Binet. Additional comparisons with other measures suggested that the WAIS might systematically underestimate severity of intellectual impairment. Implications of these findings are discussed regarding determination of disability status, estimating prevalence of ID, assessing dementia and aging-related cognitive declines, and diagnosis of ID in forensic cases involving a possible death penalty.     

Discovering forgiveness through empathy: implications for couple and family therapy

This article explores the concept of forgiveness in the context of couple and family therapy. Forgiveness is described as a complex psychological and relational process that is more a discovery via understanding and empathy than an act of will. Empathy is related to emotional intelligence, and the developmental and relational benefits of both are discussed. A rationale for viewing forgiveness in a contextual (family of origin), historical and relational attachment paradigm is offered. Relevant clinical cases illustrate the process of forgiveness as discovery in the context of an empathic relational environment where ambivalence is anticipated and respected.     

Estrogen abolishes latent inhibition in ovariectomized female rats

Estrogen is frequently prescribed as a method of birth control and as hormone replacement therapy for post-menopausal women with varied effects on cognition. Here the effects of estrogen on attention were examined using the latent inhibition (LI) behavioral paradigm. Ovariectomized (OVX) female rats were given either estrogen benzoate (EB, 10 or 100 microg/ml/kg; SC) or sesame oil vehicle. Males and OVX females receiving vehicle displayed normal LI. In contrast, LI was abolished in OVX females receiving EB. The lack of LI in OVX females receiving EB was a result of low suppression ratios, reflecting strong conditioning between the tone and the shock in these subjects even if they were pre-exposed to the tone. Thus, estrogen impaired the ability of OVX females to ignore irrelevant stimuli. Since different cognitive tasks vary in their required ability to ignore irrelevant stimuli, these results may account for some of the variations in the current literature on estrogen and cognition.     

Threatening the Patriarchy: Testing an Explanatory Paradigm of Anti-lesbian Attitudes

There has been relatively little research on heterosexuals’ attitudes toward lesbians that has utilized the considerable amount of feminist scholarship on the topic. The present study examined an explanatory paradigm derived from Pharr (Homophobia: A weapon of sexism, Chardon, Inverness, CA, USA, 1988) that considers defined norm, sexism, economic beliefs, and attitudes toward institutional violence to be associated with anti-lesbian attitudes. Using data from 365 heterosexual undergraduates from the Midwestern USA, the results of a structural equation modeling analysis found support for Pharr’s paradigm and suggest several directions for future research on anti-lesbian attitudes.     

Evaluation of an efficient method for training staff to implement stimulus preference assessments

We used a brief training procedure that incorporated feedback and role-play practice to train staff members to conduct stimulus preference assessments, and we used group-comparison methods to evaluate the effects of training. Staff members were trained to implement the multiple-stimulus-without-replacement assessment in a single session and the paired-stimulus method in another single session. In all 16 cases (2 assessments for 8 trainees), correct responding increased to over 80% accuracy; in 14 of those 16 cases, it increased to over 90% accuracy. Thus, training produced mastery-level performance in a single training session in almost all cases.     

Workgroup Temperance of Alcohol and Safety Climate Moderate the Cognitive Effects of Workplace Substance‐Abuse Prevention1

This research examined the independent and combined influence of workgroup drinking norms and safety climate on the cognitive outcomes of prevention. Employees from 72 workgroups (n = 347) were randomly assigned to attend 1 of 2 training conditions or a control group that did not receive training until after follow‐up questionnaires. Results from hierarchical regression analyses showed there was a significant effect of the interaction between safety climate, drinking norms, and training on beliefs that policy and the employee assistance program are effective. Informational training was least effective for employees from relatively temperate workgroups. Team awareness was less effective for employees from tolerant groups. Employees might benefit more from interventions tailored to individual and workgroup cultural factors.