Informed by the ancients: Norse mythology and psychotherapy

The myth of Kvasir is presented, in part. Through hermeneutic discourse, a case is made that the ancient Norseman had an understanding of the psychotherapeutic arts which finds parallel in contemporary thought. The myth evidences the distinction between: (1) the offering of needed information; and (2) the facilitation of personal, growth-oriented exploration. In contemporary terms, this is the distinction sometimes drawn beween "counseling" and "psychotherapy", respectively. More thorough and careful exegesis of the myth reveals the ubiquitous importance of the personhood of the therapist. It is through the "person of the therapist" that the therapeutic techniques are given life. The ancient wisdom contained in the myth of Kvasir may server as inspiration and guidance for the contemporary psychotherapist.     

21世纪医药卫生发展趋势

２１世纪是知识经济时代。以信息科学和生命科学为先导的信息革命贯穿整个时代,生物技术开创医学保健新纪元。人类基因组计划即将好成,基因奥秘即将被揭开。人们在基因水平上将阐明艾滋病,心血管病的发病机制。基础医学研究的前沿学科是：生物信息学及其带动的医学分子生物学,遗传学,免疫学、内分泌学、药理学和神经科学等。在临床和预防医学领域是：取代医学,器官移植,癌基因工程,老年医学,远程会诊等。预防医学则推动第三     

Psychometric Evaluation of the Japanese Version of the Elder Life Adjustment Interview Schedule for Depression

The Elder Life Adjustment Interview Schedule (ELAIS) was developed as an age- and culture-sensitive assessment device for depression and 9 environmental, behavioral, and health correlates (Schlatter et al., 1993, J. MARC Res. 1: 27–42). The psychometric adequacy of the ELAIS has been demonstrated with samples of elder Americans of Asian, Caucasian, and Native Hawaiian ancestry (Dubanoski et al., 1996, J. Clin. Gerospsychol. 2: 247–262). This study reports on the reliability and construct validity of a translated Japanese version. Participants were 55 community-dwelling elders living in the areas surrounding Maebashi, Japan. The ELAIS contains 14 scales of which 9 represent theoretical predictors of depression. The 2 Environmental Condition scales measure life events and social support. The 4 Behavioral Competency scales measure recreational activity, assertiveness, self-reinforcement, and perceived control. The 3 Health Factor scales measure perceived health, functional ability, and objective health. The 5 Other scales measure demographics, depression, life satisfaction, cognitive functioning, and response style. Results yielded acceptable internal consistency and stability reliability coefficients for all but 1 of the subscales on the ELAIS (informational social support). Construct validity support was found for the Depression scale and 6 theoretical predictors, including life events, recreational activity, assertiveness, self-reinforcement, functional ability, and objective health. Treatment and prevention implications for the cross-ethnic multivariate assessment of depression among elders are discussed.     

西北民族地区中学生心理地位与人际交往能力的关系研究

以西北民族地区甘南藏族自治州的1所多民族混合学校、1所单一少数民族学校以及兰州市1所普通中学的521名中学生为被试,采用心理地位量表和中学生人际交往能力问卷,探讨不同学校类型中学生心理地位和人际交往能力的关系。结果表明:(1)西北民族地区藏汉混合学校学生的心理地位显著高于单一民族中学的学生,但与普通中学的学生之间不存在显著差异;(2)西北民族地区藏汉混合学校学生人际交往能力得分显著高于单一民族中学的学生,但与普通中学学生之间差异不显著;(3)西北民族地区中学生的心理地位与人际交往能力之间存在显著相关;(4)西北民族地区中学生的心理地位特征能够较好地预测其人际交往能力的发展水平。     

Family-supportive organization perceptions, multiple dimensions of work-family conflict, and employee satisfaction: A test of model across five samples

Using samples of managers drawn from five Western countries, we tested a theoretical model linking employees’ perceptions of their work environment’s family-supportiveness to six different dimensions of work-family conflict (WFC), and to their job satisfaction, family satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Our results are consistent with a causal process whereby employees working in an environment viewed as more family-supportive experience lower levels of WFC. Reduced WFC then translates into greater job and family satisfaction, followed by greater overall life satisfaction. These findings were generalizable across the five samples.     

Self-esteem as mediator and moderator of the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction in adolescents

In this study, the mediator and moderator effects of global self-esteem on the relationship between loneliness and global life satisfaction in adolescents were investigated. The participants were 439 students, between age range of 15–18, who were attending four different high schools in Turkey. Data were collected by using the UCLA loneliness scale, Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and the satisfaction with life scale. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that global self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between loneliness and global life satisfaction. However, global self-esteem did not moderate the relationship between loneliness and global life satisfaction. The results are discussed in terms of the conceptional context.     

Sex segregation in friendships and normative contexts across the life span

Sex segregation (the separation of boys and girls into same-sex groups in their friendships and casual encounters; [Thorne, B., & Luria, Z. (1986). Sexuality and gender in children’s daily worlds. Social Problems, 33, 176–190]), has typically been viewed as a childhood phenomenon. In the present paper, we review research that suggests the phenomenon of sex segregation persists across the life span. We draw from a social-constructionist model to synthesize literature documenting sex segregation in friendships and aspects of individuals’ socio-cultural contexts in childhood, adolescence, and early and later adulthood. We consider developmental continuities in mechanisms that may be associated with sex segregation, including behavioral compatibility, communication styles, third-party resistance to other-sex relationships, and institutional barriers to other-sex relationships. We discuss how these factors may, through a reciprocal process, contribute to and result from sex segregation. Finally, we offer recommendations for future research.     

Social cognitive predictors of academic adjustment and life satisfaction in Portuguese college students: A longitudinal analysis

A social cognitive model of well-being [Lent, R. W. (2004). Toward a unifying theoretical and practical perspective on well-being and psychosocial adjustment. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51, 482--509.] was adapted to the context of academic adjustment and tested using a longitudinal design. Participants were 252 students at a university in northern Portugal. They completed measures of academic self-efficacy, environmental support, goal progress, and adjustment, along with global measures of positive affect and life satisfaction. Path analyses indicated that the model fit the data well overall. As expected, self-efficacy and environmental support were predictive of goal progress and academic adjustment, and the latter was predictive of students’ global life satisfaction. Self-efficacy and positive affect were found to be reciprocally related to one another. Contrary to expectations, goal progress did not contribute uniquely to the prediction of academic adjustment or life satisfaction. We consider directions for future research applying the social cognitive model to satisfaction in, and adjustment to, educational and work settings.     

Tales of two subjects: Narratives of career counseling

Narratives, often quite complex, are at the core of subjective careers. Tools and methodology have been adapted from narratology to analyze career stories thoroughly. This article presents four career counselors’ narratives of client that have been analyzed with Greimas’ actantial model and semiotic square. This methodology proves to be of value as it brings forth the main issues with which the client and the counselor are dealing. Furthermore, it gives the counselor a means to analyze and reflect on counseling practice.