Following slower drivers: Lead driver status moderates driver’s anger and behavioural responses and exonerates culpability

Two experiments investigated the effects of lead-driver status on the anger-experienced and aggression-expressed in traffic scenarios in which the lead drivers’ actions were determined by an event obviously beyond, or within, their control. Experiment I contrasted reactions to lead-cars bearing Learner driver markings (Low Status) or similar unmarked cars (Control), while Experiment II contrasted reactions to Ambulances (High Status) or otherwise identical generic work vans (Control). Reported anger, heart-rate and behaviour were measured while drivers drove. When the lead vehicle slowed or changed course because of the actions of another road user, drivers were reliably more angered when slowed by a learner driver than an unmarked sedan. Drivers reported less anger when slowed by an Ambulance, than by a work van, when there was no apparent cause for the lead-vehicle slowing. Driver behaviour also differed according to lead-vehicle status. Drivers allowed greater headway between themselves and a slower ambulance, but drove closer to the work-van, and followed Learner drivers at a dangerously close distance, leaving greater headway behind a similar, unmarked car. Reliable differences in subjective anger ratings and behaviour suggest that anger experienced and expressed depends not just on the actions of the perpetrator but on the perceived status of that perpetrator. Higher status vehicles appear to be forgiven their indiscretions more readily even when there are no extenuating circumstances, whilst lower status drivers are likely to be blamed more readily for circumstances beyond their control.     

The conscientious retiree: The relationship between conscientiousness,retirement, and volunteering

The current study examined the relationship between conscientiousness, work status, and volunteering utilizing two large samples, the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). It was hypothesized that conscientious adults who were retired would be more likely to volunteer because, after retirement, they gain a substantial amount of free time, while losing an outlet for their industrious and achievement-striving tendencies. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses revealed that conscientious, retired individuals were more likely to volunteer than conscientious, working individuals. Further analyses revealed that facets of conscientiousness provide differential information from the general trait. These findings indicate that volunteering during retirement fills an important niche for high-striving, conscientious individuals.     

Subjective social status and intergroup attitudes among ethnic majority and minority children in Portugal

A measure of subjective social status (SSS) was examined among high (White), and low (Black and Roma) ethnic status children in Portugal within a developmental design including 6–8‐year‐old and 9–12‐year‐old children. White children favoured their in‐group over the Black and Roma out‐groups on the SSS measure, social preferences and positive as well as negative trait attributions. Generally, the Black and Roma showed equal SSS, preferences and trait attribution for their in‐group and the high status White out‐group, but not the other low‐status out‐group. With age White children generally demonstrated higher SSS for Black and Roma, preferred them more and attributed more positive traits. For low‐status groups, an age effect was found only for Black children who preferred the Roma more with age and attributed more positive traits. Changes on preferences and trait attribution depending on age‐group were mediated by SSS. It is concluded that minority group's SSS does not parallel the objective status hierarchy but, rather, is a dynamic reorganisation of group's relative positions serving strategies to cope with their minority condition.     

团体宽恕干预在恋爱受挫群体中的运用及其对大学生心理健康教育的启示

为探讨团体宽恕干预在大学生恋爱受挫群体中的应用效果,本研究以31名在恋爱中受到过伤害的女大学生为对象进行6次团体宽恕干预,并设立一般干预组和控制组进行比较。研究结果显示：（1）前测中,三个组在恋爱宽恕问卷的四个维度、抑郁量表、焦虑量表和幸福感量表上均不存在显著差异;（2）后测中,在恋爱宽恕问卷的四个维度上,宽恕干预组均优于控制组,而一般干预组和控制组没有显著差异;在抑郁、焦虑和幸福感三个量表上,宽恕干预组和一般干预组都要优于控制组,但两个干预组之间差异并不显著;（3）前后测比较显示,宽恕干预组在各个指标上均有了显著变化;一般干预组在抑郁、焦虑和幸福感量表的得分上有了显著变化,但在恋爱宽恕的各个维度上（除报复维度）变化不显著;控制组则在各个指标上都没有显著变化。研究表明,面对恋爱受挫群体,宽恕干预的针对性更强,并对大学生的心理健康教育具有一定的启示作用。     

中国青少年心理健康素质·归因风格的研究

应用《青少年心理健康素质调查表·归因风格分量表》对全国23个省市地区的44063名青少年进行了调查,对不同年级阶段青少年归因风格的发展特点进行了分析。结果发现：（1）青少年归因风格的发展存在明显的阶段性,随着年级的升高,其内在归因倾向逐渐减弱;（2）在不同年级阶段,青少年归因风格不同维度的发展方向具有一致性。     

积极情绪与身心健康关系研究的进展

积极情绪与身体健康、心理健康和社会适应有密切的关系。首先,积极情绪不仅能够降低传染性疾病的感染风险,能够影响非传染性疾病病情、病程及死亡率。其次,积极情绪能够降低个体的心理易感性,使个体更好的应对负性或压力事件。最后,现有的研究表明积极情绪和社会交往存在相互促进的关系。现存的直接效应模型和压力缓冲模型解释了积极情绪直接和间接促进健康的机制。未来的研究还需在研究方法和模型完善等方面进一步改进。     

老年社会功能与主观幸福感

社会功能是健康老龄化的基本要素。本文综述了老年社会功能的定义和评估、与主观幸福感相关的老年社会功能理论,以及社会功能对主观幸福感影响的研究进展。在消极和积极老化观的指引下,该领域的研究存在两种取向：前者片面强调社会支持,追求享乐主义取向主观幸福感;后者则强调社会参与,追求幸福快乐取向主观幸福感。今后的研究应在积极老化观的指引下,强调老年阶段积极主动的社会参与和幸福快乐的幸福感,并开展相关的干预研究。     

21世纪健康城市展望--上海的挑战

城市化为更好的生活与健康提供了前景.我们开始注意到由于未持续发展模式所造成的负面影响.全球化快速的变化使许多城市在物资、服务与人口流动上造成了困难,不论他们是旅游人员,农村流动人口,还是被迫离家的群体或难民.未来,保证城市的健康将成为保证整个人类社会健康的关键.为迎接21世纪的挑战,健康城市应提到全球健康的议程中,这一议程可称为"健康的城市化",包括五个行动领域.对于上海来说,这是个很好去参与"健康的城市化"目标的时机.     

ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF TASK PREFERENCES,TASK DEMANDS,AND ADULT ATTENTION ON CHILD BEHAVIOR IN OUTPATIENT AND CLASSROOM SETTINGS

Two studies were conducted with children who displayed behavior problems to evaluate the effects of task preference, task demands, and adult attention on child behavior. In Study 1, we conducted brief functional analyses in an outpatient clinic to identify variables that facilitated appropriate behavior. For 8 of 10 children, distinct patterns of performance occurred; 3 children displayed improved behavior with changes in task demands, 1 child displayed improved behavior with a preferred task, and 4 children displayed improved behavior with changes in adult attention. In most cases, the children's parents carried out the assessments with adequate procedural integrity. In Study 2, we applied similar assessment methods to a classroom setting over an extended period of time. We identified independent variables controlling appropriate, on-task, and academic behavior for 2 children on two tasks, with slightly different treatment procedures across tasks for both children. In addition, the results of brief functional analyses for both children corresponded to the extended classroom assessments.     

How parents view professional behaviors: A cross-professional analysis

This study examined the responses of more than 900 parents of children with serious emotional disorders to survey questions about the importance and frequency of professional behaviors and compared these responses across professions. The findings indicated that parents with lower income and less education tended to work more with social workers, counselors, and teachers, less with psychologists and psychiatrists. Professional behaviors concerned with the parent-professional relationship, honesty, non-blaming attitude, supportiveness, and inclusion in decision-making were considered important by most parents regardless of the professional with whom they worked. Parents rated professions differently on the importance of evaluation, home visits, and providing child-raising information, probably reflecting expectations that parents have about the roles and training of professionals. The behaviors that parents considered important also tended to occur frequently. Significant differences across professions were found with respect to the frequency of providing information on child rearing, advocacy, home visits, providing information on resources, and help with coping, although these behaviors were considered relatively less important by parents. An examination of discrepancies between what parents considered important and what they experienced suggested that parents' expectations were only partially met. Implications for practice, professional education, and research are discussed.Editor's Note: We acknowledge the sampling issue raised by the low survey return rate in this study and the resulting threat to generalizability of findings. Nevertheless, the study is judged to merit publication as one of the first efforts to examine empirically parents' views of their relationships with mental health professionals. Our hope is that this report will serve to stimulate further scientific investigation on the topic—Donald Oswald (AE).