Appearance‐Related Communication Mediates the Link Between Self‐Objectification and Health and Well‐Being Outcomes

Grounded in objectification theory, the 2 studies presented here predicted that self‐objectification is positively related to appearance‐related communication (i.e., fat talk and old talk), and, in turn, appearance‐related communication is associated with health and well‐being outcomes. Results from Study 1, which investigated only fat talk, revealed that fat talk significantly mediated the relationship between self‐objectification and body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, bulimia, and self‐esteem. Study 2 sought to replicate the findings from Study 1, as well as extend appearance‐related communication to old talk. Fat talk was found to mediate the relationships between self‐objectification and body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, bulimia, depression, and diet. Old talk significantly mediated the relationships between body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimia.     

Effectiveness of the GOFER course in decision making for high school students

The paper describes and evaluates the GOFER course in decision making for high school students (Mann, Harmoni and Power, 1988). The course was based on principles from the conflict theory of decision making (Janis and Mann, 1977) and was designed to provide adolescents with an understanding of factors that produce good and poor decision making as well as knowledge and practice of sound decision skills. Two evaluation studies were conducted to examine effectiveness of the course. Study 1 was conducted with young adolescents (12 year olds). It found a significant difference between students trained in the course and a control group on measures of self-esteem as a decision maker, self reported decision habits and knowledge of decision strategy. Study 2 was conducted with mid-adolescents (15 year olds). It, too, found a significant difference between students who took the course and a control group on measures of self esteem as a decision maker and self-reported decision habits. It is concluded that while the evaluation study fell short of an ideal test, the GOFER course met the criteria of improving student knowledge, raising confidence in decision making and changing self reported decision habits.     

Personal computer software for teaching differential psychodiagnostics

The third edition of theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1980), outlines for the student what symptoms to consider when attempting to arrive at an accurate differential diagnosis of eight broad psychiatric categories. This paper describes a program developed to instruct a medical or graduate student in the science of such decision making.     

R⌝-algebras and R⌝-model structures as power constructs

In relevance logic it has become commonplace to associate with each logic both an algebraic counterpart and a relational counterpart. The former comes from the Lindenbaum construction; the latter, called a model structure, is designed for semantical purposes. Knowing that they are related through the logic, we may enquire after the algebraic relationship between the algebra and the model structure. This paper offers a complete solution for the relevance logic R. Namely, R-algebras and R-model structures can be obtained from each other, and represented in terms of each other, by application of power constructions.This paper was presented at the 1986 Annual Conference of the Australasian Association of Logic in Auckland, 9–12 July, 1986.     

Anything is possible

This paper criticises necessitarianism, the thesis that there is at least one necessary truth; and defends possibilism, the thesis that all propositions are contingent, or that anything is possible. The second section maintains that no good conventionalist account of necessity is available, while the third section criticises model theoretic necessitarianism. The fourth section sketches some recent technical work on nonclassical logic, with the aim of weakening necessitarian intuitions and strengthening possibilist intuitions. The fifth section considers several a prioristic attempts at demonstrating that there is at least one necessary proposition and finds them inadequate. The final section emphasises the epistemic aspect of possibilism.     

HIV counselling in the national blood transfusion service

The problems caused for the NBTS by the advent of HIV are reviewed, with particular reference to the impact on blood donor numbers, the strategies adopted to minimise the risk of HIV infection through blood transfusion, and the counselling dilemmas faced by the Service in the setting of the blood donor clinic. The notification procedure for blood donors found anti-HIV positive is described, with the importance of confirmation of such results before approach to the donor emphasised. Counselling issues arising from indeterminate and false positive lest results are explored and those arising from enquiries generated by cases of possible post-transfusion HIV infection are examined.