Boundaries of American Identity: Relations Between Ethnic Group Prototypicality and Policy Attitudes

We sought to document that the extent to which different ethnic groups are perceived as embodying the American identity is more strongly linked to antiminority policy attitudes and acculturation ideologies among majority‐group members (European Americans) than among minority‐group members (Asian Americans or Latino/as). Participants rated 13 attributes of the American identity as they pertain to different ethnic groups and reported their endorsement of policy attitudes and acculturation ideologies. We found a relative consensus across ethnic groups regarding defining components of the American identity. However, European Americans were perceived as more prototypical of this American identity than ethnic minorities, especially by European American raters. Moreover, for European Americans but not for ethnic minorities, relative ingroup prototypicality was related to antiminority policy attitudes and acculturation ideologies. These findings suggest that for European Americans, perceptions of ethnic group prototypicality fulfill an instrumental function linked to preserving their group interests and limiting the rights afforded to ethnic minorities.     

Birds of a feather and birds flocking together: physical versus behavioral cues may lead to trait- versus goal-based group perception

Entitativity perception refers to the perception of a collection of individuals as a group. The authors propose 2 perceptual-inferential bases of entitativity perception. First, perceivers would expect a collection of individuals with similar physical traits to possess common psychological traits. Second, perceivers watching a group of individuals engage in concerted behavior would infer that these individuals have common goals. Thus, both similarity in physical traits (e.g., same skin color) and concerted collective behavior (e.g., same movement) would evoke perception of group entitativity. Results from 5 experiments show that same group movement invariably leads to common goal inferences, increased perceived cohesiveness, and increased perceived entitativity. Moreover, same skin color evokes inferences of group traits and increases perceived homogeneity and perceived entitativity but only when skin color is diagnostic of group membership.     

Cultural differences in affective forecasting: the role of focalism

The impact bias in affective forecasting-a tendency to overestimate the emotional consequences of future events-may not be a universal phenomenon. This prediction bias stems from a cognitive process known as focalism, whereby predictors focus attention narrowly on the upcoming target event. Three studies supported the hypothesis that East Asians, who tend to think more holistically than Westerners, would be less susceptible to focalism and, consequently, to the impact bias. In Studies 1 and 2, Euro-Canadians exhibited the impact bias for positive future events, whereas East Asians did not. A thought focus measure indicated that the cultural difference in prediction was mediated by the extent to which participants focused on the target event (i.e., focalism). In Study 3, a thought focus manipulation revealed that defocused Euro-Canadians and East Asians made equally moderate affective forecasts.     

Assessing Sexual Orientation Symptoms in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Development and Validation of the Sexual Orientation Obsessions and Reactions Test (SORT)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) includes many symptom presentations, which creates unique diagnostic challenges. Fears surrounding one’s sexual orientation are common within OCD (also called SO-OCD), but SO-OCD is consistently misdiagnosed by physicians and psychologists. To address this issue, we describe the development of a self-report measure for assessing SO-OCD to help distinguish OCD from distress caused by a sexual orientation identity crisis. The current paper details two studies that established the psychometric properties and clinical utility of this measure. In Study 1, the factor structure, validity, and reliability were examined for the measure’s 12 items in a sample of 1,673 university students. The results revealed a two-factor solution for the measure (Factor 1: Transformation Fears; Factor 2: Somatic Checking) and preliminary evidence of validity and reliability. In Study 2, the measure was tested with LGBTQ and heterosexual community samples and clinical samples of individuals with SO-OCD and other types of OCD. The two-factor solution and evidence of validity and reliability were supported in these samples. Cut-off points were established to distinguish between community members and SO-OCD sufferers, as well as between those experiencing SO-OCD and other types of OCD. Limitations and future directions are discussed.     

Perceptions of present, ideal, and future lives among Chinese adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage

Perceptions of present, ideal, and future lives among 12 Chinese adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage were examined via qualitative interviews. Results showed that most of the adolescents evaluated their present lives positively. In general, they also had positive perceptions of their future lives, although there also were some negative feelings. Although money did not play an important role in their perceptions of present lives, future lives, life goals, and ideal careers, economic sufficiency emerged as a major theme from the perspective of their ideal lives. While adolescents with better psychosocial adjustment appeared to evaluate their present lives more positively than did adolescents with relatively poorer psychosocial adjustment, no differences were found between the two groups in terms of their views on ideal and future lives.     

When high achievers and low achievers work in the same group: The roles of group heterogeneity and processes in project‐based learning

Background . There has been an ongoing debate about the inconsistent effects of heterogeneous ability grouping on students in small group work such as project‐based learning. Aim . The present research investigated the roles of group heterogeneity and processes in project‐based learning. At the student level, we examined the interaction effect between students' within‐group achievement and group processes on their self‐ and collective efficacy. At the group level, we examined how group heterogeneity was associated with the average self‐ and collective efficacy reported by the groups. Sample . The participants were 1,921 Hong Kong secondary students in 367 project‐based learning groups. Method . Student achievement was determined by school examination marks. Group processes, self‐efficacy and collective efficacy were measured by a student‐report questionnaire. Hierarchical linear modelling was used to analyse the nested data. Results . When individual students in each group were taken as the unit of analysis, results indicated an interaction effect of group processes and students' within‐group achievement on the discrepancy between collective‐ and self‐efficacy. When compared with low achievers, high achievers reported lower collective efficacy than self‐efficacy when group processes were of low quality. However, both low and high achievers reported higher collective efficacy than self‐efficacy when group processes were of high quality. With 367 groups taken as the unit of analysis, the results showed that group heterogeneity, group gender composition and group size were not related to the discrepancy between collective‐ and self‐efficacy reported by the students. Conclusions . Group heterogeneity was not a determinant factor in students' learning efficacy. Instead, the quality of group processes played a pivotal role because both high and low achievers were able to benefit when group processes were of high quality.     

Reduced approach motivation following nonreward: Extension of the BIS/BAS scales

The current study describes the development and validation of a new subscale to be used with the BIS/BAS scales (Carver & White, 1994). This subscale measures lowered approach motivation following nonreward. Factor analysis of the new subscale was carried out within a sample of 308 University students, test–retest reliability was established within a sample of 62 individuals, and construct validity was explored in a sample of 86 individuals by comparing scores on the new subscale with those on an existing self-report measure of apathy and on a behavioural measure of persistence. Reliability and validity of the new frustrative nonreward responsiveness subscale was found to be adequate within the populations studied. The findings are discussed in relation to theoretical accounts of BAS and BIS sensitivity.     

Assessment of awareness of connectedness as a culturally-based protective factor for Alaska native youth

Research with Native Americans has identified connectedness as a culturally based protective factor against substance abuse and suicide. Connectedness refers to the interrelated welfare of the individual, one's family, one's community, and the natural environment. We developed an 18-item quantitative assessment of awareness of connectedness and tested it with 284 Alaska Native youth. Evaluation with confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory identified a 12-item subset that functions satisfactorily in a second-order four-factor model. The proposed Awareness of Connectedness Scale (ACS) displays good convergent and discriminant validity, and correlates positively with hypothesized protective factors such as reasons for living and communal mastery. The measure has utility in the study of culture-specific protective factors and as an outcomes measure for behavioral health programs with Native American youth.