The behavioural treatment of sexual inadequacy: A comparative study

Thirty-six couples complaining of sexual difficulties were treated with one of three methods: (1) systematic desensitisation plus counselling. (2) directed practice—based on that of Masters and Johnson—plus counselling. (3) directed practice with minimal contact. Both members of each couple were seen together, but half in each treatment group were treated by a single therapist and half by a therapist pair. Differences in outcome among the groups were not highly significant, but consistent trends were found which suggested that the combination of directed practice and counselling was associated with most change, particularly when two therapists were involved.     

The neurotic wandering mind: An individual differences investigation of neuroticism,mind-wandering,and executive control

Cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience have recently developed a keen interest in the phenomenon of mind-wandering. People mind-wander frequently, and mind-wandering is associated with decreased cognitive performance. But why do people mind-wander so much? Previous investigations have focused on cognitive abilities like working memory capacity and attention control. But an individual's tendency to worry, feel anxious, and entertain personal concerns also influences mind-wandering. The Control Failure?×?Concerns model of mind-wandering. Psychological Bulletin, 136, 188–197] argues that individual differences in the propensity to mind-wander are jointly determined by cognitive abilities and by the presence of personally salient concerns that intrude on task focus. In order to test this model, we investigated individual differences in mind-wandering, executive attention, and personality with a focus on neuroticism. The results showed that neurotic individuals tended to report more mind-wandering during cognitive tasks, lower working memory capacity, and poorer attention control. Thus the trait of neuroticism adds an additional source of variance in the tendency to mind-wander, which offers support for the Control Failure?×?Concerns model. The results help bridge the fields of clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, affective neuroscience, and cognitive neuroscience as a means of developing a more complete understanding of the complex relationship between cognition, personality, and emotion.     

Division and demolition at the tomb of a beloved saint: The evolving character of an Orthodox Christian pilgrim centre in India

The paper explores some reasons for changes affecting a popular Orthodox Christian pilgrim centre in Kerala, South India. These changes have become apparent both in the style of conducting the pilgrimage and in the organisation of the site itself. They have occurred in the context of an ongoing ecclesiastical dispute which has divided Christians in Kerala throughout this century, creating a division which itself follows schisms and disputes in previous centuries. As a result there is rivalry between pilgrim centres of varying allegiance and also between different styles of worship, especially since the rise of charismatic movements. All of this has occurred against a background of increased politicisation of pilgrimage, and religion in general, in India. This has led to some concern that Christianity can be considered a ‘foreign’ religion, with attempts by Orthodox Christians to refute such a claim.     

Parents and Adolescents in Stepfamilies: Longitudinal Links to Physical Health,Psychological Distress,and Stress

Journal of Child and Family Studies - Little research has explored the physical and mental health of adults and children living in stepfamilies in New Zealand. Internationally there exists mixed...