The Vasarhelyi method of child art psychotherapy: an adjunctive treatment in childhood depression

We describe the use of child art psychotherapy (CAP) following the Vasarhelyi method in an 11-year-old female with a history of anxiety and depression which limited her capacity to attend school and in a 15-year-old male who had a history of depressive symptoms with suicidal thinking. In each case, the use of other therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy was not possible or unsuccessful. Through the creation of images, each young person revealed concerns which had not been previously verbalised, and recovery was linked in time to the revelation of these worries. We propose the use of the Vasarhelyi method of CAP as an adjunctive treatment of depression in young people.     

Was und wie häufig sind Fehlurteile?

Spectacular trials leading to alleged or proven wrongful convictions arouse the concern of the German public. In spite of that there is no current systematic analysis of sources of error in criminal procedures. This article defines what may be recognized as a wrongful conviction or wrongful decision and gives an account of studies on wrongful convictions in America and some European countries. Concerning the German situation, firstly possible sources of error in preliminary proceedings are highlighted and then the outcomes of appeals are analyzed, thus estimating the quantity of wrongful convictions by courts in the first instance on the basis of statistical data. Furthermore, the very restrictive prerequisites for retrials are discussed. Concluding, the author argues for a systematic empirical analysis of sources of error in criminal proceedings and a facilitation of the prerequisites for retrials.     

The suppression model remains unsound: A reply to Deutsch

In the present issue, we critically review the influentialsuppression model of the octave illusion (Chambers, Mattingley, & Moss, 2004). In a rejoinder to our article, Deutsch (2004b) defends the utility of the suppression model. Here, we respond to Deutsch’s arguments, many of which are based on criticisms of our recent experimental report (Chambers, Mattingley, & Moss, 2002). We argue that Deutsch’s criticisms of this previous investigation are unfounded and that her defense of the suppression model fails to account for the most important weaknesses of this theory. We conclude that the suppression model remains inadequate as an explanation of the octave illusion.     

Nonlinear,near photo-realistic caricatures using a parametric facial appearance model

A mathematical model previously developed for use in computer vision applications is presented as an empirical model for face space. The term appearance space is used to distinguish this from previous models. Appearance space is a linear vector space that is dimensionally optimal, enables us to model and describe any human facial appearance, and possesses characteristics that are plausible for the representation of psychological face space. Randomly sampling from a multivariate distribution for a location in appearance space produces entirely plausible faces, and manipulation of a small set of defining parameters enables the automatic generation of photo-realistic caricatures. The appearance space model leads us to the new concept of nonlinear caricatures, and we show that the accepted linear method for caricature is only a special case of a more general paradigm. Nonlinear methods are also viable, and we present examples of photographic quality caricatures, using a number of different transformation functions. Results of a simple experiment are presented that suggest that nonlinear transformations can accurately capture key aspects of the caricature effect. Finally, we discuss the relationship between appearance space, caricature, and facial distinctiveness. On the basis of our new theoretical framework, we suggest an experimental approach that can yield new evidence for the plausibility of face space and its ability to explain processes of recognition.     

John Dewey's impact on Turkish education

Conclusion The cultural characteristics of any country generally give shape to the educational system. However, no country can assert its own educational system to be wholly indigenous. All the systems come into being as a synthesis of various ingredients of the home country and other countries. And it is quite natural to make use of the experiences and stock of knowledge of the others. This fact is indispensable especially when education is concerned. The curicial problem is to what extent the borrowing process should be used. When the process of borrowing ideas become to take the form of imitation or copy, unexpected results and failure are unavoidable.     

Sexuality and Exercise Motivations: Are Gay Men and Heterosexual Women Most Likely to be Motivated by Concern About Weight and Appearance?

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between sexuality and exercise motivations in 93 British bar staff. Participants who self-identified as heterosexual, gay, or lesbian completed the revised version of the Exercise Motivations Inventory and reported exercise frequency. Heterosexual men scored lower on appearance motives than did heterosexual women and gay men, higher on enjoyment motives than did gay men, and higher on competition motives than did women and gay men. Men were significantly less likely than women to be motivated by weight management. Heterosexual men also reported exercising significantly more frequently than the other three groups. Suggestions for targeted exercise promotion initiatives are discussed.     

Understanding depressed mood in the context of a family-oriented culture

This study examined the contribution of individual and family variables to depressive symptoms among youths in a family-centered culture. Participants were 262 Mexican adolescents (mean age = 15.9 years). At the individual level, gender (being female) and higher levels of perceived stressfulness of life events and ruminative coping style were correlated with higher frequency of depressive symptoms. At the family level, higher levels of perceived parental warmth and acceptance and parental monitoring were correlated with lower levels of depressed mood, whereas higher levels of parent-adolescent conflict were associated with greater frequency of depressive symptoms. Regression analyses confirmed our prediction that both individual factors (gender, ruminative coping) and family factors (parental warmth and parental monitoring) would make unique contributions to depressive symptoms. The model comprised of individual and family variables accounted for 50% of the variance in depressed mood. Moreover, parental warmth and acceptance attenuated the impact of ruminative coping style on adolescents' depressive symptomatology. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research on adolescents in another family-centered culture (China), and directions for future research are proposed.     

Parental Goal Orientations and Beliefs About the Competitive-Sport Experience of Their Child1

We examined the achievement goals of parents' in relation to their interpretation of their child's sporting behavior, preference for certain types of performance feedback about their child, the types of tasks they prefer their child to engage in, and their beliefs about the cause of their child's performance. The sample consisted of 96 parents whose children were in the first year (mean age 11.3) at a large comprehensive school in a major city in the United Kingdom. Parents' dispositional achievement goal orientations were differentiated by their responses to the Perception of Success Questionnaire (Roberts & Balague, 1989, 1991). Whereas differences in task orientation appear to be critical in the education setting (Ames & Archer, 1988), the findings of this study suggest that individual differences in ego orientation may be more significant in the competitive sport context.     

Outcomes for children with lesbian or gay parents. A review of studies from 1978 to 2000

Twenty-three empirical studies published between 1978 and 2000 on nonclinical children raised by lesbian mothers or gay fathers were reviewed (one Belgian/Dutch, one Danish, three British, and 18 North American). Twenty reported on offspring of lesbian mothers, and three on offspring of gay fathers. The studies encompassed a total of 615 offspring (age range 1.5-44 years) of lesbian mothers or gay fathers and 387 controls, who were assessed by psychological tests, questionnaires or interviews. Seven types of outcomes were found to be typical: emotional functioning, sexual preference, stigmatization, gender role behavior, behavioral adjustment, gender identity, and cognitive functioning. Children raised by lesbian mothers or gay fathers did not systematically differ from other children on any of the outcomes. The studies indicate that children raised by lesbian women do not experience adverse outcomes compared with other children. The same holds for children raised by gay men, but more studies should be done.