The impact of politeness and relationship on perceived quality of advice about a problem

Advice is a common but potentially problematic way to respond to someone who is distressed. Politeness theory (Brown & Levinson, 1987) suggests advice threatens a hearer's face and predicts that the speaker‐hearer relationship and the use of politeness strategies can mitigate face threat and enhance the effectiveness of advice messages. Students (N=384) read 1 of 16 hypothetical situations that varied in speaker power and closeness of the speaker‐hearer relationship. Students then read 1 of 48 advice messages representing different politeness strategies and rated the message for regard shown for face and for effectiveness. However, neither speaker‐hearer relationship nor politeness strategies was consistently associated with perceived threat to face or perceived advice effectiveness. We suggest revisions to politeness theory and additional factors that may affect judgments of face sensitivity and advice effectiveness.     

Differential item functioning on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire is minimal in demographically matched meditators and nonmeditators

A recent study of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire reported high levels of differential item functioning (DIF) for 18 of its 39 items in meditating and nonmeditating samples that were not demographically matched. In particular, meditators were more likely to endorse positively worded items whereas nonmeditators were more likely to deny negatively worded (reverse-scored) items. The present study replicated these analyses in demographically matched samples of meditators and nonmeditators (n = 115 each) and found that evidence for DIF was minimal. There was little or no evidence for differential relationships between positively and negatively worded items for meditators and nonmeditators. Findings suggest that DIF based on items' scoring direction is not problematic when the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire is used to compare demographically similar meditators and nonmeditators.     

Goal shifts following reminders of mortality: reconciling posttraumatic growth and terror management theory

Research findings within posttraumatic growth (PTG) and terror management theory (TMT) currently appear contradictory. Following confrontations with mortality, PTG research demonstrates intrinsic goal shifts, whereas TMT suggests extrinsic shifts. The current studies examine factors contributing to these inconsistent results. Study 1 demonstrates that perceived death threat is associated with PTG effects. Study 2 illuminates the importance of duration of death processing. Study 3 demonstrates that existing goal values and duration and type of processing all interact in determining ultimate goal structure, with a match between level of goals and processing producing the most psychologically advantageous outcomes. Although previous research suggests that short-term confrontations with death may lead to defensiveness, the current studies suggest that encountering death over a longer period or in a manner consistent with goal structure may lead individuals to transcend defensiveness and maintain intrinsic goals or become more intrinsically oriented.     

交多少朋友合适?谈亚里士多德对"大量交友"的评论

引言 结交多少个朋友合适?提出这样的问题似乎是钻牛角尖,也不属于哲学家的兴趣.然而,古代的哲学家并未忽视这个问题的重要性,他们都直接或间接地关注过"友谊".实际上,提出交多少朋友合适的问题,就是提出友谊的限度问题,更确切地说,是提出了与他人特殊关系的延展问题.我们看到,这种关系并不要求排他性,但将其无限扩展则难免使其变质.     

Whose personality is better,mine or my partner's? Self‐enhancement bias in relationships

Previous research has documented self‐enhancement and relationship partner‐enhancement motivations, but not examined whether individuals view themselves or their partners more favorably, overall. The authors conducted three studies that revealed a general tendency to favor oneself over one's partner in direct self–partner personality comparisons. This illustrated a motivational precedence of self‐enhancement over partner‐enhancement goals. In Study 1, participants rated self‐only traits more favorably than partner‐only traits. In Studies 2 and 3, participants rated desirable traits as more characteristic of themselves than their partner, particularly when traits were more relevant to personal than relationship success. The authors also found that this self‐favoring bias was weaker (typically nonexistent) among those with higher relationship satisfaction, lower self‐esteem, or lower self‐deceptive tendencies. The authors discuss practical, theoretical, and methodological implications.     

Australian Trans Men: Development,Sexuality, and Mental Health

The aim of the study reported in this article was to gain an understanding of the experiences, developmental trajectories, and mental health status of Australian trans men. Participants were 279 trans men. The majority preferred to identify as “male”; from an early age, they had experienced their gender identity as different from that normatively expected of their natally assigned sex and had undertaken practices so as to facilitate their presentation as male in accordance with their gender identity. A majority reported a diagnosis of depression or anxiety within the last 12 months and attributed suicidal ideation and self‐harm and attempted suicide to personal issues with gender identity. Going through a masculinisation process and coming out reportedly led to improved mental health. The findings highlight the need to educate mental health and health care professionals on trans issues.     

Construct validity of the five facet mindfulness questionnaire in meditating and nonmeditating samples

Previous research on assessment of mindfulness by self-report suggests that it may include five component skills: observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging of inner experience, and nonreactivity to inner experience. These elements of mindfulness can be measured with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). The authors investigated several aspects of the construct validity of the FFMQ in experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups. Consistent with predictions, most mindfulness facets were significantly related to meditation experience and to psychological symptoms and well-being. As expected, relationships between the observing facet and psychological adjustment varied with meditation experience. Regression and mediation analyses showed that several of the facets contributed independently to the prediction of well-being and significantly mediated the relationship between meditation experience and well-being. Findings support the construct validity of the FFMQ in a combination of samples not previously investigated.     

Immobilization Stress Elevates GTP Cyclohydrolase I mRNA Levels in Rat Adrenals Predominantly by Hormonally Mediated Mechanisms

GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin, the cofactor for catecholamine, indolamine and nitric oxide biosynthesis. In this study we examined the effect of immobilization stress on GTPCH mRNA levels and the mechanism(s) of stress-induced changes in adrenomedullary GTPCH mRNA levels. We used reverse-polymerase chain reaction to isolate and clone a cDNA corresponding to nucleotides 269 to 570 of rat GTPCH. Northern blot analysis with a cRNA probe revealed two species of GTPCH mRNA (about 3.6 and 1.2 kb) in rat adrenal medulla and cortex, and in PC12 cells. The levels of both forms of GTPCH mRNA were significantly increased 3-5 fold in adrenal medulla by a single 2 hour immobilization and by repeated immobilizations (2 hours a day for 2 days). Hypophysectomy had little effect on their basal levels but prevented the stress elicited rise in both GTPCH mRNAs. In contrast, unilateral transection of the splanchnic nerve did not affect induction of the 3.6 kb GTPCH mRNA by stress. Combined denervation with hypophysectomy completely blocked the induction of both GTPCH mRNA species by immobilization stress. Thus, stress elicits elevation of both forms of GTPCH mRNA by a mechanism requiring an intact pituitary-adrenocortical axis.