Gift Giving at Israeli Weddings as a Function of Genetic Relatedness and Kinship Certainty

This study examines gift giving at Israeli weddings. In accordance with kin selection theory, we hypothesized that wedding guests possessing greater genetic relatedness to the newlyweds would offer greater sums of money as wedding gifts. We also hypothesized that family members stemming from the maternal side (where the genetic lineage has higher kinship certainty) would offer the newlyweds more money than those stemming from the paternal side. Data on the monetary gift sums of the wedding guests from 30 weddings were collapsed according to two criteria: (a) genetic relatedness (0%, 6.25%, 12.5%, 25%, and 50%) and (b) kinship certainty (maternal or paternal lineage). Both hypotheses were supported. We discuss the implications of these data in understanding family dynamics, as well as practical applications associated with the marketing of gifts.     

Gender Differences in STEM Students' Perfectionism,Career Search Self‐Efficacy,and Perception of Career Barriers

The purpose of this study was to explore potential gender differences in the mediating effect of career search self‐efficacy between 2 dimensions of perfectionism (adaptive and maladaptive) and the perception of career barriers. A total of 279 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics undergraduate students participated in the study. Among men, but not women, career search self‐efficacy mediated the relationships between both dimensions of perfectionism and the perception of career barriers. Implications for counselors and future research directions are discussed.     

A Trauma-Informed Call to Action: Culturally Informed,Multi-Disciplinary Theoretical,and Applied Approaches to Prevention and Healing,Part II

The prevalence of trauma and its negative impact on humankind have created a burgeoning awareness of the need for systems that are trauma-informed across the lifespan. A collaborative project with the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence (NPEIV) sought out research as a call-to-action to mitigate the impact of trauma. The following is Part II of an introduction to a special double-issue focused on theoretical and applied approaches to using trauma-informed care in multi-disciplinary, mental and physical health, criminal justice, school-based, and community settings. Consideration is given to essential issues such as resilience, self-care, and intersectional cultural awareness. Introspective exploration of biases was encouraged to address barriers to implementing trauma-informed care.     

THE PRIMORDIAL ROOTS OF BEING

Abstract. Suffering, alongside the feeling of sanctity of life, pervades human experience, generating primal anxiety, which humans learn to shore up with social solidarity and with the practice of communication in religious rituals. The roots of social belonging spring from the primordial sentiments toward ethnicity, race, language, religion, customs and traditions, and region. Self–identity, mediated by mental formations derived from social relations, is composed of thinking and values. Daily experience reveals that cultural differences produce blind spots in thinking and barriers in values—-governing areas of activity, social relations, the world, and identity of being—-that impedes cross—-cultural understanding.     

Developing comprehensive,individualized community-based services for children and youth with emotional and behavior disorders: Direct service providers' perspectives

Increased attention to the plight of children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) and their families has led to innovations in the manner in which these individuals are served. Two such innovations have been the development of public systems of comprehensive, community-based care and individualized wraparound services. This study was part of one community's attempt to merge these two innovations and provide individualized wraparound services to children and youth with EBD through the auspices of public agencies. Direct service providers were surveyed to gather their input into how such services could best be developed and implemented. The survey focused on existing barriers to providing services and specific service priorities for system development. Methods and results are presented. Implications for the local system and future research needs are discussed.     

On the determination of autistoid organizations in non-autistic adults

Psychogenic autistic phenomena occurring in non-autistic adults are being increasingly discussed in the psychoanalytical literature. The author endeavours to determine autistoid organizations, which are understood to be a particular form of pathological retreat. Together with the use of autistic objects, two-dimensional levelling out, the failure of unconscious communication, and of projective identification, a characteristic of these retreats is that they are meant to afford protection against paranoid-schizoid fears of the external and unintegrated states of the internal world. The formation of such autistic reactions should be sought not only in traumatic separations and the inadequate containment of primary objects, but also in constitutional weakening. Intolerance accompanying projective identification and damage to primal fantasies/preconceptions are discussed. In conclusion, a clinical illustration with autistoid and hypochondriacal retreats clarifies some of the aspects discussed.     

Not all gifts are good: The potential practical costs of motivated gifts

People rely on support from others to accomplish mundane and momentous tasks. When asking for assistance, is it beneficial to incentivize a helper by offering a motivated gift (i.e., a gift with the hope of getting support in return)? Six studies (N > 2,500) examine the frequency and potential costs of motivated gifts. In Study 1, a third of Americans indicated that they had given a motivated gift at least once, while nearly two‐thirds believed they had received one. In Studies 2a–d, most participants who imagined receiving a motivated gift before a favor request reported lower willingness to help and anticipated satisfaction from helping than participants who imagined simply being asked for a favor. Finally, Study 3 replicates these findings with actual help provided among friends in a laboratory setting. Findings suggest that motivated gifts are relatively common but may sometimes undermine the assistance that people hope to receive.