The variable influence of confession inconsistencies: How factual errors (but not contradictions) reduce belief in suspect guilt

Wrongful conviction statistics suggest that jurors pay little heed to the quality of confession evidence when making verdict decisions. However, recent research indicates that confession inconsistencies may sometimes reduce perception of suspect guilt. Drawing on theoretical frameworks of attribution theory, correspondence bias, and the story model of juror decision‐making, we investigated how judgments about likely guilt are affected by different types of inconsistencies: self‐contradictions (Experiment 1) and factual errors (Experiment 2). Crucially, judgments of likely guilt of the suspect were reduced by factual errors in confession evidence, but not by contradictions. Mediation analyses suggest that this effect of factual errors on judgments of guilt is underpinned by the extent to which mock‐jurors generated a plausible, alternative explanation for why the suspect confessed. These results indicate that not all confession inconsistencies are treated equally; factual errors might cause suspicion about the veracity of the confession, but contradictions do not.     

Passion,grit and mindset: Exploring gender differences

The main aim of the study was to explore the gender differences in passion, grit and mindset in a large sample. The sample consisted of 917 participants in the age range 14–77. The eight item Passion Scale was used to assess passion, and the Grit-S scale was used to assess grit. Mindset was measured with the Theories of Intelligence Scale (TIS). The scale has 8-items. The results show significant difference between female and male in the passion factor only, in favor of males. The difference was significant in 6 of 8 questions. In addition, we computed a score, PGM total score, from the averages of z-scores for the three factors, passion score total, grit score total and growth mindset score total. Here it was a significant difference between the genders in favor of the males. The results are discussed in relation to more active dopamine system in males.     

Influence of perinatal complications on the development of a sample of 36-month-old premature infants

ObjectiveThe lack of clear results in previous studies for this context makes us consider an exploratory study. The objective of this research is to examine the influence of certain perinatal factors on the development of premature infants over their first 36 months of life.MethodThe sample consisted of 59 preterm infants born between 25 and 34 weeks of gestational age in an NICU of a third-level hospital. At 36 months of age, the Bayley-III Infant Development Scale (Spanish adaptation) and a clinical history were collected.ResultsThe average scores on the Bayley-III Infant Development Scale were generally within the normal range, but significantly lower than normal for Fine Motor Function, Gross Motor Function, and Expressive Language. These differences remained when considering the degree of prematurity, gender, and perinatal complications. Infants who received mechanical ventilation, oxygen therapy or corticosteroid treatment due to bronchopulmonary dysplasia showed the greatest discrepancies from normal levels.ConclusionOur results support prior studies that show that a combination of perinatal risk factors constitutes the largest determinant for developmental issues at 36 months of age. This information establishes the need for a priority follow-up in this population beyond 24 months of corrected age.     

Investigating sex,masculinity and femininity in relation to impulsive driving and driving anger expression

Human factors constitute a class of prominent road safety related factors. In the present study, human factors of driving were studied by investigating sex differences and gender roles in relation to impulsive driving and driving anger expression. A total of 425 drivers between the ages of 18 and 56 (M = 25.46, SD = 7.58) participated to the study and completed a series of questionnaires including a demographic information form, the Bem Sex Roles Inventory, the Impulsive Driver Behaviour Scale and the Driving Anger Expression Inventory. According to the ANCOVA results, male drivers showed higher functional impulsivity, lack of premeditation and use of the vehicle to express anger than female drivers. Additionally, hierarchical regression analyses showed that masculinity was positively associated with functional impulsivity, urgency and the dimensions of aggressive anger expression. However, femininity was positively associated with functional impulsivity and adaptive/constructive anger expression, but negatively associated with the dimensions of dysfunctional impulsivity and aggressive anger expression. Overall, the results showed the significant solo effects of masculinity and femininity on impulsive driver behaviours and driving anger expression, over and above the effects of sex, and the interaction between sex and gender roles. In the present study, previously reported findings indicating the relationships between sex and gender roles and driving anger expression were supported and extended by providing the literature with the contribution of answering the question how sex and gender roles are related to impulsive driver behaviours. The findings of the two related concepts of impulsive driving and driving anger expression were discussed in light of the current literature. Contributions, implications and future research directions concerning road safety practices were presented.     

The stranded cinderella and the wandering rascal. Two narratives of female housing exclusion

This article examines the life stories of two young Polish women who have faced severe marginalization and homelessness. The main aim of this article is to investigate how the notions of (in)visibility and (im)mobility are shaping participants' everyday lives and life stories they tell. Using concepts drawn from social sciences, as well as cultural and literary studies, this article attempts to reconstruct the narrative frameworks of their life stories. Marzena's story is a non-linear collection of adventures reminiscent of a picaresque novel, but with fractured agency, which leaves her powerless and restlessly moving around the city. Angelika, on the other hand, is trapped in a two-room dilapidated house with no running water, located in a rural part of Poland. Her narrative resembles a telenovela with melodramatic plot twists, romance and hard-to-believe revelations about the narrator's true self; further, it is a purposeful journey in search for happiness and fortune. Surprisingly, Marzena's mobility makes it unlikely for her to overcome homelessness, while the stranded Angelika finds the resilience necessary to improve her life. The proposed analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of women's experiences of homelessness and demonstrates the need to regard housing exclusion also as a biographical process.     

青少年创伤后应激障碍症状与网络成瘾症状的关系：惩罚敏感性和孤独感的中介及性别的调节

汶川地震9.5年后,对汶川县和都江堰市767名中学生进行调查,考察惩罚敏感性和孤独感在创伤后应激障碍症状和网络成瘾症状之间的多重中介作用及性别差异。结果发现：（1）PTSD症状正向预测网络成瘾症状,并分别通过惩罚敏感性、孤独感的单独中介作用及两者的链式中介作用显著预测网络成瘾症状;（2）女性的PTSD症状显著正向预测网络成瘾症状,并分别通过惩罚敏感性和孤独感间接影响网络成瘾症状;男性的网络成瘾症状仅被PTSD症状正向预测。     

Accounting for Poverty: From Attribution to Discourse

In this article it is argued that the attributional literature concerning explanations of poverty is inadequate due to its theoretical presuppositions. It is proposed that a discursive approach is better able to withstand criticism and contribute to a more adequate understanding of poverty accounts. Some examples are given of how a discursive approach might work in practice.     

Romantic Conflict Narratives in Emerging Adult Couples: Viewpoint and Gender Matter

Healthy romantic relationships entail understanding the needs of the self and other when interpreting conflict events. Yet how couples make meaning around specific conflicts and their capacity to reflect on their own and their partners’ unmet needs is understudied. Using narratives, we examined destructive (e.g., extreme anger and break-up anxiety) and constructive (e.g., perspective taking) interpretations of past romantic conflicts in 80 emerging adult heterosexual couples and the extent to which such interpretations varied by viewpoint and gender. Couple members were interviewed separately about two conflict episodes in which their partner did not meet their needs (victim viewpoint) and two episodes in which they did not meet their partners’ needs (perpetrator viewpoint). As anticipated, destructive interpretations were more evident in the victim viewpoint and for female couple members. In contrast, within constructive interpretations, the use of insight was greater in the perpetrator than the victim viewpoint. Although perspective taking was expected to be more common in the perpetrator viewpoint and in female narratives, this was not the case, as this type of constructive interpretation was infrequent in narratives about conflict. The findings revealed aspects of meaning making that might be useful to mental health professionals concerned with building skills to improve romantic competence in emerging adult couples.     

Risk perception of a chronic threat of terrorism: Differences based on coping types,gender and exposure

High levels of risk perception of terrorism (RPT) may impair an individual's quality of life and welfare. To understand the mechanisms responsible for RPT, this study investigated the association of gender and coping styles with individual differences in two key elements of RPT: perceived control and perceived vulnerability. A convenience sample of 400 Israelis (181 men and 219 women) filled out questionnaires on sociodemographic background, RPT and coping. Employing a multidimensional approach for coping, we divided participants into four coping types: problem-focused (n = 65), emotion-focused (n = 70), mixed (n = 122) and minimal (n = 142). The results indicate that problem-focused coping is associated with higher levels of perceived control than other types of coping and mixed coping is associated with higher levels of perceived vulnerability than other coping strategies. Also, interactions between gender and exposure to terrorism contributed to understanding the differences in perceived control. The discussion addresses gender differences in RPT and coping in the context of traditional gender roles. The study concludes with implications for risk management and therapeutic interventions regarding high levels of fear of terrorism.