WHAT IS A FEMINIST?

This article outlines the evaluation and stereotype of feminists, based on responses to closed-ended semantic differential traits as well as openended, projective responses to a hypothetical male or female feminist. Consistent across both methodologies, undergraduate respondents (Study 1: N = 210; Study 2: N = 135) viewed feminists as politically liberal, assertive/career oriented, and more likely to be heterosexual than lesbian. Most evaluations were neutral to slightly positive, with a few negative areas. However, feminists were seen in less positive terms than the typical woman and were described as much more assertive and politically liberal. Gender, race, birth cohort, gender of target, and feminist-attitude differences are presented. Despite the neutral to slightly positive evaluation, most respondents did not personally identify as feminists, possibly because they misperceive others' attitudes toward feminists as more negative than they actually are.     

Points and endpoints: a size/spacing constraint for dot grouping

One-dimensional arrangements of dots immediately group into contours. It is reported that, when these contours participate in certain larger arrangements, there is an abrupt point at which the percept changes as a function of dot spacing (or density along the contour). Closely spaced arrangements give rise to subjective effects involving apparent brightness and depth, whereas sparsely spaced ones do not. The effects are most clear in configurations that involve endpoints and possible occlusions. For these configurations, densely dotted contours are perceptually equivalent to solid ones, but sparse ones are not. This change in percept occurs abruptly and consistently at a dot to space ratio of 1:5, when the dot density is normalized by dot size, and this point is called the size/spacing constraint. It holds only for dots of the order of 1 min visual angle in diameter when small to modest contrast values are used. The subjective effects are not present for dotted contours (or even for solid ones) that are smaller (less than 0.5 min), and differ for contours that are larger (greater than 10 min). To demonstrate the significance of size/spacing constraints for early vision, a framework for grouping consisting of processes at many different levels is outlined, and the requirements for the earliest one (orientation selection) are sketched in greater detail. The size/spacing constraint follows directly from one of these requirements--receptive field structure--and seems to indicate a switch from early orientation-selection processes to later ones.     

GROWING UP AND GROWING OLDER: FEMINISM AS A CONTEXT FOR WOMEN'S LIVES

Social science research shows that contemporary women endorse feminist goals at rates similar to women in the 1970s. However, generations may differ in some aspects of their relationship to feminism. This study of 333 university alumnae examined expressions of feminism across three generations. We provide the first empirical evidence to support Stewart and Healy's (1989) prediction about the impact of social events experienced in childhood; only the youngest cohort recalled holding feminist beliefs as children. Additionally, each cohort identified feminist influences from the period coinciding with their own identity-forming adolescence as most important, although feminism was related to other beliefs in a similar way for each cohort. The Women's Movement appears to be internalized differently depending on developmental life stage.     

Social competence in children of alcoholic parents over time

In the current study, the authors tested the hypothesis that children of alcoholic parents (COAs) show deficits in social competence that begin in early childhood and escalate through middle adolescence. Teachers, parents, and children reported on the social competence of COAs and matched controls in a community sample assessed from ages 6 to 15. Hierarchical linear growth models revealed different patterns of change in social competence across development as a function of the reporter of various indicators of competence. Moreover, female COAs showed deficits in social competence in early childhood that receded in adolescence and that varied across subtypes of parent alcoholism. Implications of these findings for understanding the development of social competence in children, and at-risk children in particular, are discussed.     

Group cognitive-behavior therapy for patients failing to respond to pharmacotherapy for panic disorder: a clinical case series.

The last decade has brought exciting advances to the treatment of panic disorder and agoraphobia, and a variety of cognitive-behavioral and pharmacologic treatment strategies offer clear benefit to patients. Nonetheless, treatment nonresponse continues to be a chronic problem, and additional strategies are needed to aid patients who do not respond fully to initial interventions. In the present study, we use 'services' research to document the clinical response of pharmacotherapy nonresponders to a standard program of brief, group cognitive-behavioral therapy. Patients responded well, regardless of whether they had received a full, adequate trial of pharmacotherapy. In addition to its application as an initial treatment for panic disorder, routine application of cognitive-behavioral therapy in pharmacologic treatment algorithms is encouraged, with attention to referral of pharmacotherapy nonresponders to cognitive-behavioral therapy.     

Validating a measure of children's others-concept through population and behavior variables

Data are presented to support the Paired Hands Test (PHT) as a valid measure of the others-concept in children. This construct is defined as a person's general expectancies or perceptions about other people along a positive-negative continuum. Behavioral data are reported which replicate findings from earlier, smaller studies that children who have relatively high others-concepts are likely to interact more positively in small, unsupervised groups than children having relatively low others-concepts. Population data are also given, based upon 1,235 PHT test scores broken down by such variables as sex and socioeconomic status. Additionally, content validity inherent in the nature of the test is discussed. The conclusion drawn is that the data can be best explained by employing the others-concept as a theoretical construct measured by the PHT.     

Infants’ understanding of auditory events

Infants’ reaching‐in‐the‐dark was studied in a sample of normal 7.5–11‐month‐olds to determine whether infants can use sound cues to localize and recognize the action and objects of complex events. Infants were shown an event in which a moving, sounding object rotated clockwise through the infant's reaching space in the light and dark. Infrared recorded videotapes were later coded for reaching behaviour. Results showed that infants were able to localize the object on most trials in the dark but were slower and less efficient than in the light. Infants grasped the object at first contact and contacted the object near its salient feature in the dark, suggesting recognition of the object. Further, contact time was 1.7 s less when infants grasped the object at first contact in the dark (recognition) than when they touched the object, suggesting that recognition of the object improves reaching efficiency. There were no age and gender differences. In sum, the results support the use of the reaching‐in‐the‐dark method to demonstrate auditory localization of moving sounds and to reveal infants capacity to use represented information to guide subsequent action. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nearly everything we wish our non-Jewish supervisors had known about us as Jewish supervisees

The authors observe that Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) developed out of a Protestant setting. Much of its thinking and writing therefore is heavily laden with Christian orientation and terminology. Sharing a general theological framework, most Christians read these words and think of the same- or similar-ideas. However, Jews neither start with nor share the same theological beliefs. Jewish students perpetually ask themselves, "If the premise isn't true for me, can the conclusion still contain meaning?" Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Often, the resulting conflict leaves Jewish students feeling alienated from their CPE supervisors and peers. Few CPE supervisors realize that although everyone is reading the same material there are (at least) two "nations" present that are processing it differently. This article, by two National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC) Board-Certified Rabbis, presents twelve key points about Judaism and Jewish thought to help non-Jewish CPE supervisors and chaplains in their work with Jewish supervisees and patients (residents, et al.).