The uniqueness and significance of simple structure demonstrated by contrasting organic “natural structure” and “random structure” data

The study compares the extent to which naturally structured data and artificial, relatively random data (both with the same basic parameters) produce simple structure factors which are uniquely determined. Two examples of unstructured matrices were compared with the ball problem matrix. The results show that an oblique position of maximum hyperplane count in the structured data differs from that in the unstructured by reaching a significantly more unique position in terms of the exactitude with which it is re-discoverable when starting from different positions, and by reaching (at the maximum) a significantly higher hyperplane count.     

The relationship of children's attitudes toward alcohol to their value development

Developmentally, attitudes toward casual alcohol use and toward the abuse of alcohol should be related to the development of value content and value structure. Two studies were conducted that found this to be generally so with upper elementary schoolchildren. A negative attitude toward the abuse of alcohol was definitely related to general measures of the intemalization of those values necessary to be a part of any group as well as the rejection of acts generally considered to be deviant in our culture. Attitudes toward casual use of alcohol were also somewhat related, but not as strongly. However, alcohol attitudes were unrelated to stage of moral development or other measures of thinking processes. Some shifts across age and sex were also noted. Programs oriented toward the prevention of alcohol abuse may need to communicate the value norms of our society and can proceed without impacting attitudes toward casual alcohol use.     

Exploratory factor analysis: its role in item analysis

The special characteristics of items-low reliability, confounds by minor, unwanted covariance, and the likelihood of a general factor-and better understanding of factor analysis means that the default procedure of many statistical packages (Little Jiffy) is no longer adequate for exploratory item factor analysis. It produces too many factors and precludes a general factor even when that means the factors extracted are nonreplicable. More appropriate procedures that reduce these problems are presented, along with how to select the sample, sample size required, and how to select items for scales. Proposed scales can be evaluated by their correlations with the factors; a new procedure for doing so eliminates the biased values produced by correlating them with either total or factor scores. The role of exploratory factor analysis relative to cluster analysis and confirmatory factor analysis is noted.     

Religious Coping Style, Concept of God, and Personal Religious Variables in Threat, Loss, and Challenge Situations

This study explored the important mediating role of personal religious variables and God concept in the use of religious coping in threat, loss, and challenge situations. One hundred and twenty-nine undergraduates completed questionnaires which included a God concept adjective checklist (Schaefer and Gorsuch 1992), a stressor scenario (Bjorck and Cohen 1993), and a measure of religious coping adapted from the BAV model (Gorsuch 1988). Results suggest that personal variables such as God concept and perception of others' beliefs played important mediating roles in religious coping in stressor situations. The relationship between coping style and stressor scenario was not entirely state-dependent, but influenced by personal variables. Strong relationships existed among God concept, the importance individuals placed on their religious and spiritual lives, and participation in religious activities.     

Intrinsic Religiousness as a Mediator Between Fatalism and Cancer-Specific Fear: Clarifying the Role of Fear in Prostate Cancer Screening

Understanding factors that influence screening receptivity may enhance African-American men’s receptivity to prostate cancer screening. Men of African descent (N = 481) between the ages of 40 and 70 were recruited. The hypotheses that Fatalism would be related to Intrinsic Religiousness and Fear, Intrinsic Religiousness would act as a mediator between Fatalism and Fear, and Fatalism as well as Prostate Cancer-Specific Fear would be negatively related to past Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing and Screening Intent were supported. This meditational finding suggests that when religious beliefs are a motivating force, the fear-inducing effects of fatalism are reduced.     

Use of religious and spiritual interventions by trainees in APA-accredited Christian clinical psychology programs

Little is known about the effectiveness of Christian clinical programs accredited by the American Psychological Association in training students to use religious and spiritual interventions in therapy. We surveyed 162 student therapists from three such programs regarding their training experiences and use of religious and spiritual interventions. Self-reported competency and use of religious and spiritual interventions correlated with a number of training components. However, none of the training components predicted unique variance in regression equations above and beyond that of general professional training, personal religiousness, and intervention-specific training. Suggestions are offered regarding intervention-specific training in both Christian and secular programs, the role of personal therapy in training, and the development of guidelines for competency in using religious and spiritual interventions.