At the core of cyberaggression: A group-based explanation

In this study, prototypicality of the aggressor was tested as a group-level factor predicting social media users’ active participation in cyberaggression. Participants were exposed to a fictitious conversation, in which either a prototypical versus non-prototypical user posted an aggressive comment as a reply to a provocative comment. In line with self-categorization theory, we hypothesized that bystander participants would post an aggressive comment and rate the aggression as acceptable to a greater extent in the prototypical than in the non-prototypical condition. Furthermore, we predicted that perceived normativity of aggression would mediate the effect of prototypicality. Results supported these predictions and showed that prototypical members affect the extent to which collective aggressive behaviors in online interactions are approved and enacted. These findings highlight the importance of group-level factors in the study of cyberaggression and provide important information for understanding the psychological underpinnings of collective forms of online aggression.     

Effects of a Peer Engagement Program on Socially Withdrawn Children with a History of Maltreatment

Children with a history of child maltreatment often have limited social interactions with other children and adults. This study examined the effects of a Peer Engagement Program, consisting of peer mentoring and social skills training with positive reinforcement, in three children with low levels of oral and social interaction. A multiple baseline, single-subject research design was used to test whether introduction of the intervention was associated with increased, directly observed oral interaction and engagement in social activities with peers and adults. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS) were administered before and after intervention. All children showed increased levels of oral and social interaction and improved scores on the SSRS and the CBCL.     

How to blow the Whistle and still have a career afterwards

Filing charges of scientific misconduct can be a risky and dangerous endeavor. This article presents rules of conduct to follow when considering whether to report perceived misconduct, and a set of step-by-step procedures for responsible whistleblowing that describe how to do so once the decision to report misconduct has been made. This advice is framed within the university setting, and may not apply fully in industrial settings. Ms. Gunsalus, an attorney, has been responsible for a wide range of compliance issues and academic policy matters at her university including responding to allegations of scientific misconduct. She served on the United States Commission on Research Integrity and spent six years on the AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, four of them as chair. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the symposium entitled “Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t: What the Scientific Community Can Do About Whistleblowing” held during the Annual Meeting of the AAAS, Seattle, Washington, 15 February, 1997.     

Treatment of acute mania with ambient air anionization: variants of climactic heat stress and serotonin syndrome

High concentrations of ambient anions (O2-) were used to augment treatment for 20 acutely manic male patients. Anions were produced by an anion generator in a sealed room. A double-blind crossover design was used, and responses were evaluated with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale by 2 blinded raters. This produced a significant antimanic effect: total rating scores declined with anion treatment. Presham and postsham total scores for these 5 were 31.3 and 31.6, respectively. Pretreatment and posttreatment total scores were 31.6 and 26.3, respectively. Previous research indicates a role for serotonin in producing this antimanic effect.     

Impaired reception of nonverbal cues in women with premenstrual tension syndrome

The ability to perceive nonverbal facial cues was tested in 30 White, middle-class females. Pre- and post-menses responses of 15 subjects diagnosed as having Premenstrual Tension Syndrome (PMS) were compared to the responses of age-matched controls. Each subject was asked to interpret videotaped facial cues of individuals engaged in a gambling task. Interpretive ability fluctuated during the menstrual cycle and was significantly impaired during the premenstrual phase.     

Measuring dysmorphic concern in Italy: psychometric properties of the Italian Body Image Concern Inventory (I-BICI)

The present research evaluated an Italian version of the Body Image Concern Inventory (I-BICI). A total of 412 Italian volunteers from Central and Southern Italy completed the measure (M=27.05 years, range=13-66 years) and the basic psychometric properties (factor structure, internal consistency, convergent validity) were assessed. The total measure demonstrated good internal consistency. Significant correlations were found between the I-BICI and measures of eating disorder (EDI-2) and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology (PI). Confirmatory factor analysis replicated the mesaure’s proposed factor structure. Directions for future research are discussed.     

Why do you like Arcimboldo’s portraits? Effect of perceptual style on aesthetic appreciation of ambiguous artworks

Visual aesthetic experience reflects the states of the mind and the brain when visual artworks are being viewed. In the present study, we investigated whether perceptual style affects the aesthetic appreciation of ambiguous artworks, such as those of Arcimboldo, which are characterized by part–whole ambiguity. Participants were classified as having a global or local perceptual style and were asked to aesthetically judge two different types of artworks: portraits by Arcimboldo and by Renaissance painters. We found that perceptual style affected both the aesthetic appreciation and the degree of perceived ambiguity in Arcimboldo’s artworks. Our findings suggest that aesthetic judgment is a consequence of the interaction between individual personal perceptual style and the perceptual features of artworks.     

Social anxiety and adolescence: Interpretation bias in an Italian Sample

Interpretation bias, namely the tendency to systematically assign a negative meaning to ambiguous social situations, has been extensively studied in adult populations, while in adolescents it has received little attention. We aimed to address this gap by analyzing the three components of interpretation bias (negative interpretations, positive interpretations, belief in negative interpretations) in Italian adolescents aged between 14 and 17, comparing two groups: high (n = 32) and average (n = 33) social anxiety. The participants filled Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and Adolescents’ Interpretation and Belief Questionnaire (AIBQ). We found that the bias is specific to social anxiety (not due to the presence of negative mood) and present only in social situations. Instead, contrary to the hypothesis, Italian adolescents with high social anxiety have both negative bias and absence of the positive bias. Hence, preventive interventions should focus not only on the reduction of negative interpretations. They should also reinforce positive interpretations and target belief in negative interpretations. Based on these considerations, we gave some suggestions to improve the tasks of the Cognitive Bias Modification addressed to adolescents. Finally, belief in negative interpretations and the relationship between negative and positive interpretations in social anxiety deserve further study, both in adolescents and in adults.     

Recent and emerging trends in marital and family therapy regulation

The number of states in the United States that formally credential marital and family therapists has tripled to 31 during the last decade. This paper reviews and compares the basic licensure and certification requirements in these states, and explores a number of broad issues currently confronting the field of marital and family therapy regulation. Several recommendations for improving the quality of MFT regulation are also provided.president of the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards.