Presurgical Coping, Depression, and Quality of Life in Persons with Parkinson's Disease

This study describes utilization of coping strategies and evaluates the interaction between coping strategies, depression, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who are being considered for neurosurgical intervention. Eighty patients (mean age 61.7 years) with PD being evaluated for possible deep brain stimulation completed self-report instruments of coping strategies (Coping Responses Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), and disease-specific QOL (Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39). Analyses showed that patients with PD cope with the acute stressor of approaching neurosurgery through a variety of strategies, but particularly avoidant and behavioral strategies. When the correlated but apparently opposing effects of cognitive and behavioral strategies were teased apart, greater use of cognitive strategies was associated with more severe depressive symptomatology (and poorer QOL), while greater use of behavioral strategies appeared to be associated with less depression. Depressive symptomatology, in turn, was associated with poorer QOL. However, coping had minimal direct association with QOL. From this it was concluded that patients with advanced PD generate a variety of coping responses to an acute stressor such as surgery, and the use of behavioral strategies, in particular seeking of alternative enjoyable activities, may be associated with better mood if salutary effects are not overwhelmed by less helpful cognitive coping techniques. The minimization of depressive symptomatology, in turn, is associated with better QOL.     

Justice and Civic Friendship： An Aristotelian Critique of Modern Citizenry

Modem moral and political theorists make a sharp separation between justice and civic friendship, arguing that justice deals with the fair terms of co-operation in the social sphere whereas civic friendship is about an individual＇s contingent affections in the political domain. In addition, they also argue that the principles of justice must determine the nature and function of civic friendship in modem liberal society. Even though the historical origin of the above view can be traced to the writings of Immanuel Kant （2007）, John Rawls provides us with its most cogent formulation in recent times. In his book A Theory of Justice （1971）, Rawls argues that the considerations of right are prior to the considerations of good; therefore the principles of justice must determine the limits of civic friendship. Against RaMs, I argue that justice and civic friendship are intrinsically connected and that they cannot be separated in experience. I draw upon Aristotle＇s theory of virtue to strengthen my arguments. Following Aristotle, I show that both justice and friendship are virtues and that all virtues hold together. The Aristotelian coherence of virtues, I argue, can be useful in redefining the obligations of justice and civic friendship in contemporary liberal democracies.     

Health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease after pallidotomy and deep brain stimulation

This study explored the multidimensional outcome of three neurosurgical interventions for Parkinson's disease (PD): pallidotomy (N = 23), pallidal deep brain stimulation (DBS) (N = 9), and thalamic DBS (N = 7). All patients completed the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) and the Beck Depression Inventory. Pallidotomy patients also completed the Profile of Mood States, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and a disease-specific quality of life (QOL) measure, the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). Three months after surgery, all neurosurgical groups showed significant improvements in mood and function, including physical, psychosocial, and overall functioning. Pallidal DBS and pallidotomy patients who completed additional QOL measures reported decreased anxiety and tension, increased vigor, improved mobility and ability to perform activities of daily living, and decreased perceived stigma. Psychosocial dysfunction scores from the SIP were related to depressed mood both at baseline (r = .42) and at followup (r = .45), but the physical dysfunction subscale was not related to mood at either time point, suggesting that disruption of social relationships due to PD may have more impact on affective distress than physical symptoms alone. Results suggest that neurosurgical interventions for PD improve disabling PD motor symptoms and also improve several domains of quality of life.     

Measuring the bandwagon effect: Development of a generalized bandwagon luxury motivation scale

This study presents a reliable, valid, and generalizable four-item unidimensional scale that captures general bandwagon luxury motivation. After a thorough review of the bandwagon luxury literature, the authors developed an initial set of items which were then reviewed by academic experts. The scale was tested in a series of four studies to refine the scale and demonstrate its reliability and validity: Study 1 was conducted with a student sample in the Southeast, Study 2 with a student referral sample of adults in the Midwest, Study 3 with a national Qualtrics panel sample in the United States, and Study 4 with another national Qualtrics panel sample in the United States that included only those who had bought or consumed a luxury product in the past 12 months. Study 4 was done to corroborate the evidence from Study 3 with a sample of luxury consumers. The generalized bandwagon luxury motivation scale is positively related to status consumption motivation, congruity with one's internal self, a preference for visible luxury brands, and conspicuous consumption. It is negatively related to the inconspicuous luxury motivation of being unknown to the masses and independent self-construal. This research contributes to the literature by developing a generalized scale to measure the luxury bandwagon effect that is not limited to one luxury product domain.     

Effects of Culture,Gender, and Moral Obligations on Responses to Charity Advertising Across Masculine and Feminine Cultures

Two studies investigated the effects of charity advertising on perceptions of moral obligation to help others and gauged ad evaluation. This was done in cultures that were similar in individualism but differed in either masculinity (United States and Canada) or femininity (Denmark and Norway). Participants read appeals that solicited donations to charity by focusing on either egoistic or altruistic motives. In masculine cultures, men preferred the egoistic ad and women preferred the altruistic one. In feminine cultures, where women are agentic and men are allowed to be nurturing, the opposite was the case. Exposure to both types of ads activated a sense of personal obligation among men in feminine nations and women in masculine nations. However, their opposite‐sex counterparts reacted against these ads. Implications of these findings for an understanding of culture and sex differences in advertising effectiveness are discussed.     

Study of Spiritual Intelligence and Adjustment Among Arts and Science College Students

A study to evaluate the relationship between the spiritual intelligence and adjustment among the college students was conducted on a sample of 250 students in six various colleges of Tuticorin district, Tamil Nadu, India. Gender, religion, community, major subject, educational qualification of father and mother, student locality, college type, father and mother’s occupation and monthly family income (n = 11 variables) were chosen for the study. Test of significance for spiritual intelligence and adjustment was studied and found them nonsignificant except student locality, found to be significant. Two valid and reliable instruments were used to assess student’s spiritual intelligence and adjustment. Correlation and Chi-square analysis using structural equation model were used to analyze these data. Correlation analysis showed significant relationship between the variables among the college students (n = 250). Chi-square analysis of association between adjustments of college students showed that most variables are nonsignificant unlike father’s educational qualification and mother’s occupation. The results disclosed the significant positive relationship with spiritual intelligence and adjustment among adolescents.     

Seeking attention: an investigation of salesperson influence strategies used while selling to small retailers

The use of influence strategies is an integral component of the salesperson's role, while selling to retailers. However, it remains a chronically under-researched area, particularly so in emerging markets, which are distinct in terms of retail formats and salesperson challenges. In this study, we investigate influence strategies used by salespersons for selling to retailers in the dominant small retail format in India. Using a combination of observation techniques and in-depth interviews, we allow salesperson influence strategies at play to emerge. In comparison to extant literature, we find evidence for both universality and specificity in the types of influence strategies used at small retail. We identify ‘share of counter’ as a unique small retail phenomenon, potentially requiring a specific set of salesperson influence strategies to succeed. Based on this, a modified typology of salesperson influence strategies, specific to small retail, is proposed. We conclude with a discussion of theoretical and managerial implications for emerging markets, and offer suggestions for future research.     

Understanding why and how individuals choose to help others: indirect reciprocal considerations and the moderating role of situation severity

In this article, we examine the impact of how helpful an individual is toward third parties on people's willingness to help that individual. Our results show lower willingness to help those that are unhelpful toward others. Further, varying levels of severity of the situation in which help is needed moderates this relationship. Specifically, in less severe situations (i.e., where withholding help does not lead to dire consequences), willingness to help was greater when recipients were seen as being helpful toward others. This effect was also found in moderate severity situations, although to a lesser extent. More severe situations, however, caused people to want to help regardless of how helpful the recipients themselves were. Empathetic feelings toward the recipients mediated these findings.     

The Implications of Brain Connectivity in the Neuropsychology of Autism

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has been associated with atypical brain functioning. Functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) studies examining neural networks in autism have seen an exponential rise over the last decade. Such investigations have led to the characterization of autism as a distributed neural systems disorder. Studies have found widespread cortical underconnectivity, local overconnectivity, and mixed results suggesting disrupted brain connectivity as a potential neural signature of autism. In this review, we summarize the findings of previous fcMRI studies in autism with a detailed examination of their methodology, in order to better understand its potential and to delineate the pitfalls. We also address how a multimodal neuroimaging approach (incorporating different measures of brain connectivity) may help characterize the complex neurobiology of autism at a global level. Finally, we also address the potential of neuroimaging-based markers in assisting neuropsychological assessment of autism. The quest for a neural marker for autism is still ongoing, yet new findings suggest that aberrant brain connectivity may be a promising candidate.