The Influence of Social Consensus Information on Intergroup Attitudes: The Moderating Effects of Ingroup Identification

ABSTRACT

Two studies examined the role of ingroup identification in the influence of social consensus information (information about others' beliefs) on intergroup attitudes. Research demonstrates that consensus information influences individuals' intergroup attitudes. However, the extent to which individuals identify with the group providing consensus information seems important to understanding consensus effects. In Study 1, 100 high or low ingroup identifiers received information that other ingroup members held favorable or unfavorable attitudes toward African Americans and then provided their own attitudes. In Study 2, 250 participants completed an ingroup identification manipulation (high, low, or control) before receiving favorable or no consensus information. Results of both studies demonstrated that ingroup identification moderated consensus effects, such that high identifiers were more susceptible to others' beliefs than individuals in the low identification and control conditions. In determining critical factors involved in consensus effects, we hope to create a useful method to promote favorable intergroup attitudes and behaviors.     

Development of sense of coherence during two group interventions

Kähönen, K., Näätänen, P., Tolvanen, A. & Salmela‐Aro, K. (2012). Development of sense of coherence during two group interventions. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 523–527. Burnout is a serious occupational hazard. This study investigated the possibility to develop an effective salutogenic group intervention among employees suffering from severe burnout symptoms. Participants consisted of employees aged 31 to 59 years working in different public service occupations, such as police officers, tax officers, (and other public service officers), and assigned to three different groups: analytic (N = 25), psychodramatic (N = 24) and controls (N = 28). The intervention comprised 16 separate days over a nine‐month period. Changes in sense of coherence (SOC) were measured four times with the 13‐item Orientation to Life Questionnaire during the intervention and at six‐month follow‐up, and analyzed by general linear model (GLM) and using Cohen’s d to estimate effect sizes. Change in SOC between the three groups was statistically significant (F(4,148) = 2.65, p = 0.036). The psychodrama group showed a higher increase in SOC than the analytic group during the intervention, while the improvement in the analytic group was significant during the six‐month follow‐up. Total effect size from baseline to follow‐up was in the analytic group 0.71, in the psychodrama group 0.47, and in the control group from baseline to end of intervention 0.09. The results show that it is possible to improve SOC by group intervention in the occupational healthcare context. The dialogue‐based analytic method and action‐based psychodramatic method differ in their specific effects.     

Why are some people more susceptible to ingroup threat than others? The importance of a relative extrinsic to intrinsic value orientation

Whereas an individual differences perspective recently pointed to the importance of a relative extrinsic to intrinsic value orientation in the prediction of outgroup attitudes, the intergroup relations perspective stresses the importance of threat. This study investigates the interplay of both perspectives. A scenario study among high-school students showed that only people who attach greater relative importance to extrinsic values react with a negative attitude towards an outgroup that is portrayed as threatening. A longitudinal study among university students then showed that people with a relatively greater extrinsic value orientation are not only more likely to react to threat but also to perceive threat. Specifically, cross-lagged analyses showed that a relatively greater extrinsic value orientation predicted over-time increases in threat perceptions.     

The Association of Religiosity and Political Conservatism: The Role of Political Engagement

Some argue that there is an organic connection between being religious and being politically conservative. We evaluate an alternative thesis that the relation between religiosity and political conservatism largely results from engagement with political discourse that indicates that these characteristics go together. In a combined sample of national survey respondents from 1996 to 2008, religiosity was associated with conservative positions on a wide range of attitudes and values among the highly politically engaged, but this association was generally weaker or nonexistent among those less engaged with politics. The specific political characteristics for which this pattern existed varied across ethno‐religious groups. These results suggest that whether religiosity translates into political conservatism depends to an important degree on level of engagement with political discourse.     

Mentalization‐based Therapeutic Interventions for Families

This article attempts to bridge two seemingly different and yet related worlds, the intra‐psychic and the interpersonal, by viewing systemic practice(s) through a mentalization‐based lens. It is argued that in therapy there needs to be a deliberate, conscious and consistent focus on mentalizing. The emerging mentalization‐based therapy for families is an innovative approach and a distinctive model which is systemic in essence, deriving its ideas and practices from a variety of diverse systemic approaches, yet enriching family work by adding mentalizing ingredients.     

Race,racism and systemic supervision

The idea of ‘race’ and the social reality of racism have gained increasing attention in family and systemic psychotherapy. This article seeks to extend this attention by focusing upon the influence of race and racism in the supervision of family and systemic psychotherapy. The way in which the idea of race might be conceptualized is discussed, before looking at how race and racism have been addressed in the field. Attention is then turned to systemic supervision, focusing upon the ideas generated about how supervisors might position themselves in relation to these issues, the implications this might have for the supervisory relationship and the relationships between supervisees and client families. It is proposed that by virtue of the supervisor's position of power over the supervisee, it is the supervisor's responsibility to initiate conversations about race and racism. A proposal for this task is outlined, which recognizes that these conversations are ongoing. A concluding assertion is made that such conversations should form part of the evaluative process for trainee supervisors.     

Dominance Measuring Method Performance under Incomplete Information about Weights

In multi‐attribute utility theory, it is often not easy to elicit precise values for the scaling weights representing the relative importance of criteria. A very widespread approach is to gather incomplete information. A recent approach for dealing with such situations is to use information about each alternative's intensity of dominance, known as dominance measuring methods. Different dominance measuring methods have been proposed, and simulation studies have been carried out to compare these methods with each other and with other approaches but only when ordinal information about weights is available. In this paper, we use Monte Carlo simulation techniques to analyse the performance of and adapt such methods to deal with weight intervals, weights fitting independent normal probability distributions or weights represented by fuzzy numbers. Moreover, dominance measuring method performance is also compared with a widely used methodology dealing with incomplete information on weights, the stochastic multicriteria acceptability analysis (SMAA). SMAA is based on exploring the weight space to describe the evaluations that would make each alternative the preferred one. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of randomised controlled trials in developing an evidence‐base for counselling and psychotherapy

Background: Representatives of counselling and person‐centred organisations indicate many of their members feel their profession and orientation is under threat, with counselling services being decommissioned in NHS settings. Aims: To understand the views of key figures in the psychological therapies field (policy makers, researchers and representatives of the counselling community) towards randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and their present and future role in developing the evidence‐base for counselling and psychotherapy. Method: Interviews (phone, Skype or face‐to‐face) were conducted with 24 authorities in the field. Relevant practitioner and academic networks were also contacted and key documents in the field were reviewed. Results: Key figures believe that RCTs will continue to play a decisive role in determining which psychological interventions are recommended and commissioned within the NHS for the foreseeable future. Other methods are seen as having some validity, but are generally considered supplementary to RCTs and not a replacement for them. Discussion: Although many members of the counselling community are critical of RCTs, they are likely to remain the mainstay of commissioning policy for some years to come. This means, in the coming years, members of the counselling community may face difficult choices in how to promote their work, while maintaining their core principles and values.     

Therapists’ and clients’ perceptions of routine outcome measurement in the NHS: A qualitative study

Primary objective: This is the first qualitative study that elicited the perceptions of both psychological therapists and their clients in the use of Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation with computer software (CORE‐Net), where instant visual feedback for session tracking was given on a computer screen in the therapy room at each therapy session. The study also examined how therapists viewed its potential value in supervision and provides suggestions for improving training. Research design: The study adopted a convenience sample of four therapists in a primary care counselling setting (PCC – General Practitioner referrals) who were experienced in using CORE‐Net, and five therapists in an NHS employee/occupational support counselling service (OH) who had just begun to use CORE‐Net for session tracking with 10 of their clients. Method: A qualitative methodology was used and interview data were collected from the therapists via focus groups; the clients were interviewed individually face to face. All data was analysed inductively. Findings: The study identified six overarching themes: (i) therapists were initially anxious and resistant; (ii) therapists adapt ‘creatively’; (iii) outcome measures help the client/therapist relationship; (iv) clients perceive visual measures as helpful; (v) CORE scores inform supervision; and (vi) proper and ongoing training/support of therapists is necessary. The main limitations are comparability of data and the generalisabilty of results. Conclusions: The implementation of routine outcome measurement (ROM) is a challenge but can be made easier with proper training and supervision. Clients appear happier than their therapists when routine outcome measurement is used.     

Attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among Chinese students at a UK university

Aim: In this study we aimed to investigate whether Chinese international and British home students at a university in the United Kingdom differed in their attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Method: The total sample comprised 323 participants. Participants completed measures to assess their attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help (recognition of need for psychological help, stigma tolerance, interpersonal openness, confidence in mental health practitioners). Results: Chinese students reported significantly less interpersonal openness than that reported by British students. Contrary to prediction, however, no significant group differences were found on any of the other mental health attitudes (i.e. recognition of need for psychological help, confidence in mental health practitioners or stigma tolerance). Within‐group contrasts also showed that Chinese students reported lower scores on interpersonal openness than on stigma tolerance and confidence in mental health practitioners. In contrast, British participants reported less confidence in mental health practitioners and recognition of the need for psychological help than reported for stigma tolerance and interpersonal openness. Conclusion: The findings highlight the need for a greater understanding of students' cultural inclinations toward mental health issues and cultural attitudes that may hinder and/or facilitate students' access and engagement with psychological services in higher education institutions.