USING REINFORCEMENT-BASED METHODS TO ENHANCE MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT IN A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION

The present study employed reinforcement-based methods to induce existing members to recruit new members to join a chamber of commerce. Three interventions took place during June and July of 3 successive years. The investigators trained chamber leaders to use reinforcement methods (e.g., contingent tokens) to reinforce recruitment and dues collections. All three interventions produced substantial increases in their targets.     

Defining and diagnosing involuntary emotional expression disorder

Uncontrollable episodes of emotional expression occur in a variety of neurological conditions. This emotional disinhibition syndrome is characterized by episodes of crying or laughing that are unrelated to or out of proportion to the eliciting stimulus. This syndrome is common among patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and traumatic brain injury and a variety of terms and definitions have been used to describe it. The confusing nomenclature has been a barrier to understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of this disorder. The authors propose a unifying term, involuntary emotional expression disorder (IEED), and provide diagnostic criteria for this disorder.     

Taking Time to Incubate: The Moderating Role of ‘What You Do’ and ‘When You Do It’ on Creative Performance

We explore how the choices available to individuals planning multi‐task work can facilitate the incubation of ideas and enhance creative performance. Using opportunistic assimilation theory, we hypothesize that two considerations can determine the effectiveness of incubation and creative performance. First, we argue that having the discretion to switch tasks when needed, as well as the timing of this discretionary switch between tasks (i.e., earlier versus later in the work process on the main task) is important. Second, the scope of the intervening task (i.e., in the same knowledge domain as the main task versus in a different domain) can lead to more effective incubation and creativity. Results of a laboratory study indicate that participants who made a discretionary switch to an intervening task later in their work process on the main task benefited significantly more in terms of creative performance than those who chose to switch earlier in their work process or chose not to switch tasks. Additionally, participants who worked on an in‐domain intervening task exhibited significantly higher creativity on the main task than those who worked on an out‐of‐domain intervening task. Furthermore, focus of attention on the main task partially mediated these results.     

Persistent symptoms among survivors of Hodgkin's disease: an explanatory model based on classical conditioning.

Persistent symptoms of nausea, distress, and vomiting triggered by reminders of cancer treatment were examined among 273 Hodgkin's disease survivors, 1 to 20 years posttreatment. Prevalence rates were high for distress and nausea but low for vomiting. Retrospective report of anticipatory symptoms during treatment was the strongest predictor of persistent symptoms, suggesting that treatment-induced symptoms are less likely to persist if conditioning does not occur initially. Time since treatment was also a significant predictor, with patients more recently treated more likely to experience persistent symptoms. Thus, an explanatory model based on classical conditioning theory successfully predicted presence of persistent symptoms. Symptoms also were associated with ongoing psychological distress, suggesting that quality of life is diminished among survivors with persistent symptoms. Recommendations for prevention and treatment of symptoms are discussed.     

Neurocardiac toxicity of racemicd,l-lactate fluids

Racemicd,l-lactate has long been used in burn therapy as Ringer’s lactate and in peritoneal dialysis fluid for treatment of renal failure. The d-lactate component of this racemic mixture is known to cause two forms of neurological toxicity in patients: encephalopathy and, in a subset of the population, panic reaction. Here we demonstrate that coma, similar in degree to that produced by blood levels of 75 mM ethanol was induced in rats by the intraperitoneal infusion of sodiumd-lactate sufficient to raise serumd-lactate concentration to 25 mM, whereas infusion of equal quantities of sodiuml-lactate produced no observable neurological effect. We further demonstrate that the intravenous infusion of racemicd,l-lactic acid into 48-hour fasted rats produced serious disturbances of cardiac rate and rhythm leading to death. When serumd-lactate concentration had reached 1–2 mM there was bradycardia, at 2–3 mM prolongation of QT interval, at 6–7 mM AV block with ectopic escape rhythms, and at 11 mM death in ventricular standstill or fibrillation. In contrast, intravenous infusion ofl-lactic acid to blood levels of 25 mM failed to produce any change in cardiac rhythm. On the other hand, the isolated working heart, free of influence from the central nervous system, displayed no change of cardiac rhythm or physiological function when perfused with 25 mM sodiumd,l-lactate.     

Dialogue: Hermeneutic and practical

Hans Georg Gadamer's (1982) hermeneutic is the dominant model for practice in North American practical and pastoral theology, as is evident in the work of three leading theorists in this field, Don Browning (1991), Thomas Groome (1991), and Charles Gerkin (1991). They use Gadamer's hermeneutic dialogue between interpreter and text to understand the dialogue between pastor and parishioner, congregation, or community. In this usage, “dialogue” undergoes shifts in meaning away from its usual denotation and connotation. Critical analysis of these changes reveals the dynamics of power in ecclesial and theological structures.     

The voice of the counselee

Conclusion Unfortunately, case excerpts and histories in which the voice of counselee is largely ignored appear very frequently in the pastoral care and counseling literature. More unfortunately, these excerpts are often lifted up, as is the one discussed in this article, as examples of very good counseling. The plea from the counselees, which can be heard very clearly through these excerpts and histories, is quite simply that their voices be heard and their experiences of their own suffering validated.     

A Short History of the Kingdom

Pastoral Psychology -     

Initial Validation of Measures of Sanctification in Same‐Sex Romantic Relationships and Sexual Behavior

Researchers have created reliable and valid scales of the sanctification of romantic relationships and sexual behavior of opposite‐sex couples. The goal of the present study is to assess the reliability and validity of sanctification measures within same‐sex romantic relationships. Measures of sanctification and relationship adjustment were given to 256 persons in same‐sex romantic relationships living in the United States. Both sanctification measures had Cronbach alpha values above 0.80. Sanctification related to relationship adjustment in expected ways. Controlling for demographic variables, general religiosity, and self‐perceived spirituality, the sanctification of a same‐sex romantic relationship was associated with greater investment in the partnership, emotional intimacy toward one's partner, and relationship satisfaction. Sanctifying same‐sex sexual behavior related to more frequent sex and more positive emotions toward sex, after controlling for demographic variables, general religiosity, and perceived spirituality. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.