Arbitration: Semi-judicial process or negotiation?

Arbitration is usually described as a semi-judicial, evaluative process, where the parties to a dispute surrender their responsibility for its resolution to a disinterested third party. The arbitrator is expected to listen impartially to the arguments of both sides and, on the basis of the evidence put forward, decide the issue between them. This paper questions the validity of the typical image of arbitration and suggests that a more comprehensive understanding can be developed if it is viewed in the context of different models of negotiation. It is argued that the arbitrator is likely to have at least two contrasting roles: (1) that of manager of the process of concession-convergence, when the issues in dispute are relatively straightforward; and (2) that of joint negotiator with the parties, constructing a framework for a future detailed resolution of the dispute, when the issues are more complex. The parties, on the other hand, are likely to be differentiated according to their previous experience of arbitration. While the more experienced participants may be able to make skilful strategic use of the procedures, the inexperienced are likely to be adversely affected by the evaluative/judicial public image of arbitration.     

Awakenings: subjective and objective relationships

Electroencephalographic measures of awakenings and subjective estimates of amount and frequency of awakenings were compared. The subjects were 65 men and 69 women between 50 and 70 yr. of age; their scores showed ranges on these measures. The relationships between the measures were low. Analyses of scores on the perceptual task indicate the reasons for the low relationship. The functional meaning of these findings is discussed.     

Cross-cultural validity of the developmental test of visual-motor integration

For 28 mildly handicapped Japanese students visual-motor integration scores were significantly correlated with both mathematics and reading scores, which substantiates the test's cross-cultural validity. Although slightly larger correlations with mathematics achievement than with reading achievement were noted in both cultures, the differences between reading and mathematics correlations were not significant for Japanese children. In contrast, in at least one American study the correlation between the visual-motor integration scores and mathematics achievement was significantly greater than that between the test and reading achievement. It is clear that further research with larger samples for both American and Japanese groups is essential.     

Fertility Related Attitudes of Minority Mothers with Large and Small Families1

The relationship between certain attitudes and levels of fertility in five cultural groups–Blacks, Cubans, American Indians, migrant Chicanos, and white Protestants–was explored. Mothers, aged 35–45, with one or two children (small family, N= 253) or five children (large family, N= 196) were compared. Subjects responded to semantic differentials measuring attitudes toward pregnancy, family, abortion, sex, birth control, and parent. Large family mothers were generally more negative toward birth control, sex, and family. Cultures differed significantly on all six attitudes, with those toward abortion and pregnancy being the best discriminators. Significant interactions between cub ture and size were found on attitudes toward birth control and pregnancy. In general, large families wanted fewer children than they had and their negative attitudes toward birth control might be associated with their ineffective experiences; however, the trend was reversed in the migrant group where small family mothers were more negative toward birth control. Since small family mothers among migrant Chicanos were difficult to find and their estimates of ideal family size was large, it is likely that their negative attitudes toward birth mntrol reflected an aversion to its use.     

Asymmetries in perception of tachistoscopically presented horizontal and vertical random-letter strings

Two studies examined perception of briefly presented (100-msec.) strings of letters. In Study One, 20 subjects were presented horizontal 5-letter strings in the left, central, and right visual fields. These were compared with 5-letter vertical strings presented centrally in the lower, central, and upper visual fields. Similar within-string patterns were found for all presentations. Between strings there was a typical right over left visual-field advantage in accuracy of report for horizontal strings. There was no equivalent lower over upper visual-field advantage for vertical strings. In Study Two, 24 subjects were presented vertical strings in the right and left visual fields, vertical strings in the upper and lower visual fields, and horizontal strings in the right and left visual fields. A post-stimulus cueing technique for single letters was used. Between-strings, the same right over left visual-field advantage for horizontal strings was noted but not for vertical strings. Between strings no advantage for lower over upper visual fields was found. An interaction for within-string patterns and visual field was found for vertical strings presented in the upper and lower visual fields. These results are explained in terms of an interaction between scanning and masking effects depending upon orientation and visual field.     

Ernest Becker and the Psychology of Worldviews

Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, and Tom Pyszczynski offer experimental confirmation for Ernest Becker's claim that the fear of death is a powerful unconscious motive producing polarized worldviews and scapegoating. Their suggestion that their findings also prove Sigmund Freud's theory of repression, with worldviews as its irrational products, is questionable, although Becker's own statements about worldviews as "illusions" seem to invite such interpretation. Their basic theory does not depend on this, however, and abandoning it would enable them to take better advantage of their finding that worldviews incorporating the values of rationality and tolerance tend to counteract polarization effects.     

Feasibility and acceptability of a brief suicide intervention for youth involved with the family court

As efforts to develop models for suicide prevention and intervention in the juvenile justice (JJ) system continue to grow, research to understand the feasibility and acceptability of implementing these models is critical. Examining organizational readiness for implementation, ensuring leadership and staff buy‐in for delivering the intervention, and planning for sustainability of staff participation in implementation efforts is essential. The current study involved semi‐structured formative evaluation interviews with key JJ stakeholders (n = 10) to determine perspectives on the acceptability (perceived need and fit of the intervention) and feasibility (organizational readiness for change) of a proposed brief safety planning intervention for youth with suicidal ideation delivered by nonclinical staff and integrated into the existing system. Qualitative data revealed stakeholders' perceived need for the intervention in the family court context and their agreement that the aims of the intervention were congruent with the goals of the family court. Some barriers to successful implementation were noted, which, addressed through selection of appropriate implementation strategies, can be overcome in a future test of the safety intervention.     

Forgiveness and Suicidal Behavior: Cynicism and Psychache as Serial Mediators

Research is burgeoning regarding the beneficial association of forgiveness with numerous health-related outcomes; however, its particular relationship to suicidal behavior has received relatively little attention. Both cynicism and psychache, or agonizing psychological pain, have displayed deleterious associations with suicidal behavior, but have rarely been incorporated into more comprehensive models of suicidal behavior. Consistent with the recent development of a theoretical model regarding the forgiveness–suicidal behavior association, the present study utilized an undergraduate sample of college students (N = 312) to test a mediation-based model of the cross-sectional association of forgiveness with suicidal behavior, as serially mediated by cynicism and psychache. Dispositional forgiveness of self and forgiveness of uncontrollable situations were each indirectly associated with less suicidal behavior via less psychache. Also, dispositional forgiveness of others was indirectly associated with less suicidal behavior via less cynicism and less psychache, in a serial fashion. The present results are consistent with the extent literature on the forgiveness–suicidal behavior association, cynicism, and psychache, and pending future studies, may be utilized to inform further treatment efforts for individuals at a high risk of attempting suicide.     

Feeling bad about progress does not lead people want to change their health behaviour

Objective: When do people decide to do something about problematic health behaviours? Theoretical models and pragmatic considerations suggest that people should take action when they feel bad about their progress – in other words, when they experience negative progress-related affect. However, the impact of progress-related affect on goal striving has rarely been investigated.

Design and Methods: Study 1 (N = 744) adopted a cross-sectional design and examined the extent to which measures of progress-related affect were correlated with intentions to take action. Study 2 (N = 409) investigated the impact of manipulating progress-related affect on intentions and behaviour in an experimental design.

Results: Study 1 found that, while engaging in health behaviours had the expected affective consequences (e.g. people felt bad when they were not eating healthily, exercising regularly or limiting their alcohol consumption), it was feeling good rather than bad about progress that was associated with stronger intentions. Study 2 replicated these findings. Participants induced to feel good about their eating behaviour had marginally stronger intentions to eat healthily than participants led to feel bad about their eating behaviour.

Conclusion: The findings have implications for interventions designed to promote changes in health behaviour, as well as theoretical frameworks for understanding self-regulation.