Fear of AIDS and Homophobia Scales in an ethnic population of university students

This replication extended R. A. Bouton et al.'s (1987) Fear of AIDS and Homophobia Scales to an ethnic sample of university students in an attempt to understand the relation between the expression of fear of HIV/AIDS and homophobia in ethnic groups. The results of the present study suggest that ethnic groups have a greater fear of HIV/AIDS, as they were more homophobic than the sample surveyed by R. A. Bouton et al. Although the correlation between fear of AIDS and homophobia was significant, results suggest the relation between them is weaker than it was 20 years prior to the present study. The ethnic populations represented in this study did not have greater fear of AIDS by gender. Considering ethnicity, female and male participants showed significant differences in homophobia. As in the original study, male participants were more homophobic than were female participants.     

HAND IN GLOVE: EVALUATING THE FIT BETWEEN METHOD AND THEOLOGY IN VAN HUYSSTEEN'S INTERPRETATION OF HUMAN UNIQUENESS

Wentzel van Huyssteen's Alone in the World? (2006) presents an interpretation of human uniqueness in the form of a dialogue between classical Christian theological affirmations and cutting‐edge scientific understandings of the human and animal worlds. The sheer amount of information from different thinkers and fields that van Huyssteen absorbs and integrates makes this book extraordinary and, indeed, very rich as a work of interdisciplinary theology. The book commands respect and deserves close attention. In this essay I evaluate van Huyssteen's proposal as well as the method he uses to produce it. Special attention is given to the concept of embodiment. Van Huyssteen's concept of embodiment is substantially correct in most respects and largely consistent with the scientific and theological pictures of human nature. In a few respects, however, his interpretation of the bodily character of human life appears to be insufficiently thoroughgoing relative to our best contemporary knowledge of human nature from the natural sciences.     

A Return to Musical Idealism

In disputes about the ontology of music, musical idealism—that is, the view that musical compositions are ideas—has proven to be rather unpopular. We argue that, once we have a better grip on the ontology of ideas, we can formulate a version of musical idealism that is not only defensible, but plausible and attractive. We conclude that compositions are a particular kind of idea: they are completed ideas for musical manifestation.     

Neuroscientific Prediction and the Intrusion of Intuitive Metaphysics

How might advanced neuroscience—in which perfect neuro‐predictions are possible—interact with ordinary judgments of free will? We propose that peoples' intuitive ideas about indeterminist free will are both imported into and intrude into their representation of neuroscientific scenarios and present six experiments demonstrating intrusion and importing effects in the context of scenarios depicting perfect neuro‐prediction. In light of our findings, we suggest that the intuitive commitment to indeterminist free will may be resilient in the face of scientific evidence against such free will.     

Emotional and cognitive health correlates of leisure activities in older Latino and Caucasian women

This study examined differences in the frequency of leisure activity participation and relationships to depressive symptom burden and cognition in Latino and Caucasian women. Cross-sectional data were obtained from a demographically matched subsample of Latino and Caucasian (n?=?113 each) postmenopausal women (age ≥60 years), interviewed in 2004-2006 for a multiethnic cohort study of successful aging in San Diego County. Frequencies of engagement in 16 leisure activities and associations between objective cognitive performance and depressive symptom burden by ethnicity were identified using bivariate and linear regression, adjusted for physical functioning and demographic covariates. Compared to Caucasian women, Latinas were significantly more likely to be caregivers and used computers less often. Engaging in organized social activity was associated with fewer depressive symptoms in both groups. Listening to the radio was positively correlated with lower depressive symptom burden for Latinas and better cognitive functioning in Caucasians. Cognitive functioning was better in Latinas who read and did puzzles. Housework was negatively associated with Latinas' emotional health and Caucasians' cognitive functioning. Latino and Caucasian women participate in different patterns of leisure activities. Additionally, ethnicity significantly affects the relationship between leisure activities and both emotional and cognitive health.     

Grip morphology and hand use in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): evidence of a left hemisphere specialization in motor skill

Three experiments on grip morphology and hand use were conducted in a sample of chimpanzees. In Experiment 1, grip morphology when grasping food items was recorded, and it was found that subjects who adopted a precision grip were more right-handed than chimpanzees using other grips. In Experiment 2, the effect of food type on grasping was assessed. Smaller food items elicited significantly more precision grips for the right hand. In Experiment 3, error rates in grasping foods were compared between the left and right hands. Significantly more errors were made for the left compared with the right hand. The cumulative results indicate that chimpanzees show a left-hemisphere asymmetry in motor skill that is associated with the use of precision grips.     

Rigidity of thought and behavior: 100 years of research

Rigidity is one of the oldest psychological constructs, with systematic research dating back to the late 19th century. The authors review this research in an attempt to clarify the construct of rigidity and to investigate its correlates. Rigidity is described as a multidimensional construct encompassing the tendency to form and perseverate in the use of mental and behavioral sets. A series of meta-analyses was performed based on three measures of behavioral rigidity: the Einstellung Water-Jar Task, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, and the motor-cognitive dimension of the Test of Behavioral Rigidity. The results indicated that rigidity is curvilinearly related to age, positively related to authoritarianism (particularly under stressful situations), and negatively related to intelligence; that men are more rigid than women; that obsessive-compulsiveness is positively related to rigidity; and that schizophrenics are more rigid than nonschizophrenic siblings and normal controls. Unresolved issues and gaps in the research are discussed.     

“Revolving Doors and Brief Encounters: Dare We Do Inpatient Groups?” Reflections on Being an AGPA Conference Panelist

Participating as an American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) conference panelist is an impactful and noteworthy experience. The purpose of this article is to discuss the experience in the context of providing a brief update to the conversation regarding rapid turnover in inpatient groups. We aim to highlight and summarize the far-reaching impact of ongoing clinical discussions and research found in both the literature and the conference experience. From an integrative perspective, clinical discussion between colleagues is an essential component in the discipline of psychology. It aids in appropriate edification as a clinical psychologist. Rather than emphasizing a one-size-fits-all therapeutic model, if we remain open to a diversity of approaches while clarifying and fine-tuning the most valuable commonalities, we will subsequently facilitate increased professional and patient satisfaction.     

Passion, Drama and Identity: Aidan Nichols on von Balthasar's Theodrama

Book reviewed in this article:
Aidan Nichols, No Bloodless Myth: A Guide Through Balthasar's Dramatics