Post-traumatic stress disorder and hiring: The role of social media disclosures on stigma and hiring assessments of veterans

A significant percentage of veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veterans are often directed to social media platforms to seek support during their transition to civilian life. However, social media platforms are increasingly used to aid in hiring decisions, and these platforms may make veterans’ PTSD more discoverable during the hiring process. Based on social identity theory and identity management theory, the integrated suspicion model, and the stigma literature, we conducted four studies that examine veterans’ PTSD disclosures on social media and the consequences in the hiring process. Study 1 suggests that 16%–34% of veterans included cues related to PTSD status on social media. Study 2, based on 290 upper-level business students, shows that veterans with PTSD were more stigmatized than veterans without PTSD, and stigmatization is associated with more suspicion and lower hiring-related ratings (of expected task performance, expected organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB), expected counterproductive work behaviors (CWB), and intention to interview). Study 3, based on 431 working professionals with hiring experience, further supports relationships from Study 2. Study 4, based on 298 working professionals, identifies peril (i.e., perceptions regarding danger) as an additional mediator for the effects of PTSD on hiring-related ratings. In sum, we identify and explore the identity management conundrum that social media disclosure poses for veterans with PTSD in the hiring process and discuss potential remedies and avenues for future research.     

The functional state of the central nervous system in chemical stress

The psychosocial and physical factors, including chemical ones, which affect the human organism are considered by some authors to be stress factors which affect the functional state (FS) of the central nervous system (CNS). We calculated correlations among the clinical, psychological/psychometric, and quantitative electropsychological (QEEG) variables of the functional changes of the CNS in chemical stress. These data were based on occupational contact with lead as experienced by 402 workers, with styrene by 96, with shale-oil products by 252, with organic solvents by 77 workers, and a control group of 145 workers in different age groups. The QEEG data of 77 patients were analyzed to determine the chronic neurotoxic effects of industrial chemical substances by diagnosing the functional changes at the syndrome level. We concluded that occupational chemical factors impact the functional state of the CNS. During chemical stress -activity and total cerebral bioelectrical activity (BA) decreases. The use of psychometric/ psychological and QEEG methods makes it possible to diagnose the changes of the CNS as hypersthenic, hyposthenic, and organic psychosyndromes.     

Lay understanding of genetic disease: A British study of families attending a genetic counseling service

Although lay people know that various diseases can be inherited, the idea that unhealthy life styles are the crucial cause of ill health has been promoted by health education policy in the United Kingdom. However, a new paradigm seems to be developing. The medical profession is increasingly using genetics to explain ill health, and people are being referred to geneticists for information and counseling. Lay conceptions of genetic disease emerged during this qualitative study of the process of genetic counseling. The results reported in this paper suggest that many lay people lack knowledge of genetics and inheritance, and that there is considerable stigma attached to genetic disease. Misconceptions and fears may not always be recognized or resolved during the process of genetic counseling. The implications of such misunderstandings and beliefs are considered in this paper.     

Contributions of empirical research to medical ethics

Empirical research pertaining to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), clinician behaviors related to do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders and substituted judgment suggests potential contributions to medical ethics. Research quantifying the likelihood of surviving CPR points to the need for further philosophical analysis of the limitations of the patient autonomy in decision making, the nature and definition of medical futility, and the relationship between futility and professional standards. Research on DNR orders has identified barriers to the goal of patient involvement in these life and death discussions. The initial data on surrogate decision making also points to the need for a reexamination of the moral basis for substituted judgment, the moral authority of proxy decision making and the second-order status of the best interests standard. These examples of empirical research suggest that an interplay between empirical research, ethical analysis and policy development may represent a new form of interdisciplinary scholarship to improve clinical medicine.     

The cognitive load of physical activity in individuals with high and low tolerance to effort: An ecological paradigm to contrast stepping on the spot and stepping through space

Performing a physical activity means dealing with the challenges and difficulties occurring during the task. The more a person possesses the cognitive ability to deal with the complexity of the task, the more that person will be able to face the difficulties in activity regulation. However, no studies have been designed to investigate the cognitive dimension of physical activity. In the present study, we present an original in-task methodology that offers the means to assess the cognitive and physical load of a physical activity. Through the application of a dual task paradigm, we report in-task changes in cognitive abilities and physiological experiences in low and high tolerant individuals during the practice of one of two whole-body stepping tasks. The findings confirmed that stepping through space is a physical activity that requires more cognitive resources and is perceived as more cognitively and physically challenging than stepping on the spot. We demonstrated also that the tolerance to effort, which is a psychological factor, plays a non-negligible role in the way the activity sessions were experienced. The affective states in low tolerant individuals were always more negative than those reported by high tolerant individuals. Our findings argue for the existence of a cognitive dimension to physical activity with tolerance to effort being a moderator of individuals’ affective experience to exercise.     

传统测谎技术研究现状与趋势

该文在国内外研究文献的基础上,简要介绍了传统测谎技术的原理与方法,并从心理测量的角度,对传统测谎技术的研究现状与问题进行了回顾与探讨,认为传统测谎技术中有待深入研究解决的主要问题包括：（1）模拟研究的代表性与现场研究的准确性,（2）测谎检测非标准化产生的高“虚报”率,（3）测谎检测信、效度的衡量标准,信、效度的提高,（4）有效的防止反测谎。据此,该文探讨了今后传统测谎技术可能的研究趋势。     

More than just a pretty face and a hot body: multiple cues in mate-choice

Mate preferences have been well studied in social and evolutionary psychology. In two studies (N = 490), using two different measurement techniques, we examined mate preferences for the body and the face in the context of other traits. Results replicated prior research on mate preferences across the sex of the participant and mating duration but clarified the nature of preferences for physical attractiveness. Generally, physical attractiveness was a necessity in short-term mating and for men and traits like kindness were a necessity in long-term mating and for women. Men wanted a short-term mate who had a good body, likely because that body advertises fertility whereas both sexes wanted a mate with a nice face for a long-term mate, which is likely because the face is a cue based on structural properties related to health. Sex and mating-duration differences on preferences for attractive faces and bodies were robust to differences in measurement technique.     

Conceptualizing Sex Offender Denial From a Multifaceted Framework: Investigating the Psychometric Qualities of a New Instrument

The authors examined the psychometric properties of a clinician‐rated measure of sex offender denial. Convergent and discriminant validity for the measure was supported, and given its relationship to treatment attitudes, the measure demonstrated utility for assessing treatment change and readiness.     

Evasive action characteristics of motorcycle riders towards occluded-surprise and expected pedestrians: A pedestrian mock-up study

Evasive action performance of motorcycle riders plays a vital role in the prevention of road crashes. In possible conflicting scenarios, motorcycle riders need to respond quickly and perform evasive actions successfully to prevent collisions with other vulnerable road users such as crossing pedestrians. To study the motorcycle rider behavior in conflicts with occluded and visible pedestrians, we designed four mock-up pedestrian scenarios, which includes, two surprise scenarios, one stationary scenario, and one expected scenario. Riders’ responses to the conflicts were measured using instrumented vehicle’s trajectory. Most riders preferred deceleration over swerving at the beginning of the interaction, followed by swerving at manageable speeds. Further, the analysis of riders’ deceleration rates revealed that a linear relationship existed between the deceleration rates and time to collisions (TTC). The study also analyzed the riders’ responses using repeated-measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) to check for the effect of scenario type on deceleration rates. Results indicated that scenario type significantly affected the mean deceleration rates. Further, RM-ANOVA analysis carried out on the jerk behavior of motorcycle riders indicated that there was a significant effect of scenario type on the jerk behavior. Motorcycle riders’ jerks varied linearly with TTC and motorcyclists employ relatively higher decelerations and jerks when faced with pedestrians emerging suddenly from occluded locations such as from the blind spots formed due to parked vehicles. This study helps in understanding motorcycle rider behavior in critical situations and shows the need for assistive evasive systems for motorcycle riders to mitigate collisions with other vulnerable road users.     

An investigation into the psychometric properties of the CORE‐OM in patients with eating disorders

Aim: The current study aimed to explore the psychometric properties of the CORE‐OM (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure) when used in an eating disorder sample. Method: The CORE‐OM was administered at assessment to 360 individuals referred to an eating disorders service. Principal component analysis was conducted to look at the psychometric structure of the CORE‐OM, and psychometric properties were investigated using analyses of reliability and validity. Results: Analyses of the psychometric structure suggested a three‐component solution reflecting negatively worded, positively worded and risk items. The CORE‐OM showed good acceptability, acceptable internal and test‐retest reliabilities, as well as good convergent and known groups validity. Conclusions: The results of the current study support the CORE‐OM as a reliable and valid measure for assessing psychological distress in eating disorders.