Behavioral Gerontology Research: Where are the Male Participants?

It has been reported that females are underrepresented in several areas of psychological research, which may have significant clinical and theoretical implications. No one has reported, however, whether women are underrepresented in behavioral gerontology research. To make this determination we recorded the gender of participants in behavioral gerontology studies published in six journals. In 129 published studies that included older adults (i.e. people 55 or more years of age) there were a total of 3070 participants, and most (69%) were female. Underrepresentation of men is significant insofar as treatment effects are sometimes gender specific, making it inappropriate to generalize results from females to males (or vice versa). Moreover, underrepresentation of older men suggests that their behavioral needs may not be generating the attention they deserve. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Practical Matters and Ultimate Concerns, “Doing,” and “Being”: A Diary Study of the Chaplain's Role in the Care of the Seriously Ill in an Urban Acute Care Hospital

Systematic observational studies of the chaplain's role and function in the secular health‐care setting are few. With an episode‐based diary recorded on handheld digital tablets, palliative care chaplains at a large urban hospital with a diverse patient population recorded details of patient visits in near‐real time. Cluster analysis revealed groups of activities we called "doing" and "being," and conversation topics of "practical matters" and "ultimate concerns”; chaplains were most satisfied with visits that involved all of these. Chaplains offer patients and families a space to express significant concerns; however, visits with spiritual or religious activities or topics were relatively rare. Broad quality of life concerns are central to the evolving professional role of chaplains in the secular setting of the modern hospital.     

Mortality salience,self‐esteem,and defense of the group: mediating role of in‐group identification

Numerous studies have shown that mortality salience strengthens defense of cultural institutions and that this effect is buffered by self‐esteem. The present study examines a novel prediction, based on social identity processes, that group identification mediates the impact of the interaction of mortality salience and self‐esteem on worldview defense. Self‐esteem and mortality salience were manipulated using Greenberg and colleagues' standard methods, the dependent measure was defense of America, and the mediating variable was identification with America. As predicted, mortality salience only increased identification with America and defense of America when self‐esteem was not enhanced, enhancing self‐esteem attenuated the effects of mortality salience. Also following predictions, the interactive effect of mortality salience and self‐esteem on defense of America was mediated by identification with America.     

Interpersonal Assessment of Borderline Personality Disorder: Preliminary Findings

We examined the reliability and validity of scores on an interpersonal measure of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Ratings on the Interpersonal Measure of Borderline Personality Disorder (IM–B) were based on nonverbal behaviors and interpersonal interactions occurring during clinical interviews with 276 adults. Scores on the IM–B exhibited good reliability. IM–B scores also displayed expected patterns of associations with scores on other measures of BPD, as well as with scores on measures of affective dysfunction, interpersonal pathology, and behavioral impairment associated with BPD, including indexes of maladaptive emotion regulation, interpersonal sensitivity, and self-harm. The pattern of associations for IM–B scores was quite similar to what would be expected for a dimensional measure of BPD symptoms. Scores on the IM–B were also associated with symptoms of disorders generally comorbid with BPD. Finally, IM–B scores contributed incrementally to the prediction of interpersonal dysfunction and suicidal ideation and behavior. Discussion focuses on implications for the assessment of BPD.     

Touch and Go: Merely Grasping a Product Facilitates Brand Perception and Choice

Consumers often touch products, and such haptic exploration can improve consumers' evaluations of the product. We tested whether cross‐modal priming might contribute to this effect. Under the guise of a weight judgment task, which served as a haptic prime, we had blindfolded participants grasp familiar products (e.g., a Coca Cola bottle). We then had participants visually identify the brand name as quickly as possible (Experiments 1 and 2), list the first beverage brands that come to mind (Experiment 3), or choose between beverage brands as reward for participation (Experiment 4). Haptic exposure facilitated visual recognition of the given brand and increased participants' consideration and choice of that brand. Moreover, this haptic priming was brand specific and occurred even among participants who did not consciously identify the prime brand. These results demonstrate that haptic brand identities can facilitate recognition, consideration, and brand choice, regardless of consumers' conscious awareness of this haptic priming. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Perceptions of the Limitations of Confidentiality Among Chinese Mental Health Practitioners,Adolescents and Their Parents

The present study aims to (a) survey Chinese mental health professionals’ attitudes toward therapeutic confidentiality with adolescent patients in specific clinical situations, and (b) compare Chinese adolescents’ and parents’ beliefs about when most mental health professionals would breach confidentiality. A sample of 36 mental health practitioners, 152 parents, and 164 adolescents completed a survey to assess their opinions about when confidentiality should be breached in 18 specific clinical situations (e.g., an adolescent tells his or her therapist that he or she smoked a cigarette, had unprotected sex, or attempted suicide). Nearly half of the parents (46%) and adolescents (41%) and 78% of the therapists in our sample selected “yes” in response to the question of whether the principle of confidentiality applies to adolescents. However, 49% of parents indicated “no,” and 53% of adolescents indicated “not sure.” Compared to adolescents, parents were significantly more likely to believe that therapists would breach confidentiality for the high-breach-likelihood items. For the low-breach-likelihood items, adolescents and parents were significantly more likely than therapists to believe confidentiality should be breached. Results from this study provide data to inform the development, refinement, practical implementation, and communication of guidelines and recommendations specific to adolescents receiving psychotherapy in China.     

The Religious and Spiritual Needs of Patients in the Hospital Setting Do Not Depend on Patient Level of Religious/Spiritual Observance and Should be Initiated by Healthcare Providers

Journal of Religion and Health - According to many studies, addressing the religious and spiritual (R/S) needs of patient's increase patient satisfaction. One area of interest is how patient...     

Arithmetic is Determinate

Journal of Philosophical Logic - Orthodoxy holds that there is a determinate fact of the matter about every arithmetical claim. Little argument has been supplied in favour of orthodoxy, and work of...