Toleration and prejudice-reduction: Two ways of improving intergroup relations

While a large body of social psychological research has shed light on the nature of prejudice and how to reduce it, we argue that such work does not address situations of cultural or religious outgroup beliefs and practices that are considered incompatible with one's own. The present theoretical article contrasts a prejudice-reduction approach with a toleration-based approach to consider the differences each have with regard to the attitude object they focus upon, the perceived reasonableness of the attitude, and the behavioral consequences each may lead to. In doing so, we consider the psychological processes involved in whether the negative attitude leads to negative actions. We conclude by arguing that a toleration-based approach forms an important addition to the psychological thinking about cultural diversity and intergroup relations. Collectively, the present work makes a novel contribution to the social psychological literature by stimulating theory development and raising novel questions for empirical research.     

Helping behaviour among people who use drugs: Altruism and mutual aid in a harm reduction program

People who use drugs, and particularly people experiencing addiction, are rarely afforded the opportunity to have their voices heard when it comes to drug treatment or drug policy or even when attempting to define themselves and their life experiences. Of course, there is much more to a person than one area of their behaviour. The current study seeks to capture and understand the lived experiences of people who use drugs, with a focus on their relationships and helping behaviour. We interviewed 32 participants in a harm reduction program seeking to provide understanding beyond stigmatizing and criminalizing drug narratives, by exploring their motivation and context for helping behaviours. Grounded theory methodology was used to understand the patterns of helping behaviour, along with the contexts in which help is or is not given. We particularly focus on participants' distribution of syringes and carrying medicine to reverse overdose (naloxone). Participants shared stories of altruism and mutual aid, along with barriers and disincentives to helping others. We situate these behaviours within contrasting environments of a free harm reduction program and the competitive market system of the U.S. society. Implications for practice and public policy are discussed.     

Cognitive Dissonance and Post-Decision Attitude Change in Six Presidential Elections

Data from the National Election Studies were examined in an effort to isolate cognitive dissonance of two kinds: dissonance arising from a behavioral commitment in the form of voting, and dissonance arising from inconsistencies associated with having supported the losing candidate. Feeling thermometer ratings of the two principal presidential candidates obtained before and immediately after six elections (1972, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996) were analyzed. Regression estimates supported a dissonance reduction explanation of observed attitude changes. Voters, as compared to nonvoters, tended to increase the evaluative distance between candidates after an election, whereas supporters of the losing candidate were more likely than supporters of the winning candidate to decrease such evaluative distances. An additional examination of voters yielded results consistent with dissonance theory: After the election, respondents reporting favorable evaluations of both candidates (a difficult choice) tended to spread comparative candidate evaluations compared to respondents who were favorable toward only one candidate (an easy choice). The results both support and cast doubt on prior studies.     

Beyond the molar-molecular distinction: we need multiscaled analyses.

Dinsmoor's (2001) adherence to molecular analyses may require him to assert that molar and molecular principles are mutually exclusive, but to instead analyze the phenomena of avoidance as inherently multiscaled is to follow a well-established practice in the natural sciences. Besides the issue of scale, two-factor theory, which Dinsmoor advocates, has little to say about some important and longstanding results in experiments that qualify as avoidance.     

哮喘控制稳定后如何减停糖皮质激素

糖皮质激素是最有效的抗气道炎症药物,吸入糖皮质激素(ICS)是首选哮喘控制药物。由于治疗后达到哮喘临床控制(症状、肺功能)需要一定时间,ICS达到一定剂量后量效曲线较平坦,而全身不良反应却逐渐增加。因此,达到临床控制后在长期监测下至少维持哮喘控制3个月以上,开始减少50%ICS剂量,直至ICS减至最低维持剂量。如为ICS加另一种控制药(长效β2受体激动剂、白三烯调节剂、缓释茶碱)联合治疗达到控制者,在ICS减至最低剂量时再停用另一种控制药。应用最低剂量ICS维持控制达1年方可考虑停药。     

认知失调引起的系列次序错误记忆初探

本实验借鉴认知失调领域自由范式的思路,以系列次序为对象,研究了错误记忆在认知失调影响下的产生特点和机制。结果表明：（1）选择操作对被试的次序回忆产生了显著影响：Z（有选择一无选择）=11．036,p〈0．01;（2）在有选择条件下,接受项目的喜好程度增加（X^2（2）=13．000,P〈0．005）,拒绝项目的喜好程度降低（X^2（2）=9．250．P=0．001）;在无选择的条件下,三种位置的频次分布无显著差异,表明认知失调引发了次序错误记忆;（3）预警变量对于次序回忆的相关程度有显著影响（Z（有提示一无提示）=3．535,P〈0．01）,对于接受项目和拒绝项目的位置回忆无显著影响（接受项目：X^2（2）=0．629,P=0．730;拒绝项目：70（2）=0．180,P=0．914）,表明错误记忆是由认知失调引起,并且难以抑制。     

Failure to replicate the 'work ethic" effect in pigeons

We report six unsuccessful attempts to replicate the "work ethic" phenomenon reported by Clement, Feltus, Kaiser, and Zentall (2000). In Experiments 1-5, pigeons learned two simultaneous discriminations in which the S+ and S- stimuli were obtained by pecking an initial stimulus once or multiple (20 or 40) times. Subsequent preference tests between the S+ stimuli and between the S- stimuli mostly revealed indifference, on average, between the S+ from the multiple-peck (high-effort) trials and the S+ from the one-peck (low-effort) trials, and likewise between the two respective Sstimuli. Using a slightly different procedure that permitted assessment of the relative aversiveness of low versus high effort, Experiment 6 again revealed a pattern of indifference despite showing that pigeons took considerably longer to begin pecking on high- than on low-effort trials. Our findings call into question the reliability of the original findings and the sufficiency of the hypothesized within-trial contrast mechanism to produce them.     

桡骨小头粉碎性骨折的两种治疗方法比较分析

分析比较切开复位内固定和人工桡骨小头置换方法治疗桡骨小头粉碎性骨折（MasonⅢ型）的临床疗效。回顾分析2012年10月～2014年3月收治的24例桡骨小头粉碎性骨折（MasonⅢ型）的临床资料,其中切开复位内固定治疗17例;桡骨小头置换7例,平均随访12个月（6个月～18个月）。根据Broberg Morrey评分系统以及术后影像进行评价比较,同时比较两组住院天数以及费用。结果评价比较显示两者疗效均佳,术后两者活动度和功能评分相近,两组住院天数相近,内固定组费用更低。桡骨小头粉碎性骨折须尽早进行解剖复住功能重建,切开复位内固定和桡骨小头置换疗效相当。