The Relational aggression scale (RAS): Psychometric properties of a newly developed measure of relational aggression

Introduction

Relational aggression (RA) is a growing and worrisome problem, particularly among adolescents, that can result in negative psychological consequences for those involved. Therefore, it is important to develop instruments to detect these incidents and understand the problem so as to design effective intervention strategies.

Intention stability: Literature and methodological review

IntroductionIt has been argued that intention stability is a pre-eminent determinant of individuals’ ability to direct their behaviour over time.ObjectiveThe aim of the review was to detail the existing literature and examine whether the relationships described are reliably indexed by the array of operationalisations of the construct.MethodsWeb of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, and EMBASE were searched for English language articles reporting use of the construct in moderating a relationship between an IV and behaviour.ResultsEleven studies met the inclusion criteria. We identified six methods of estimating intention stability. The ostensible finding of the review was that greater intention stability associated with a stronger positive relationship between intention and behaviour. These findings are, however, largely invalidated by the serious flaws in measurement methods.ConclusionFurther thought must be given to the construct as an attribute of the individual, and how this attribute should be operationalised. The usefulness of “intention stability” will not be able to be evaluated prior to definition of a measurement model and its psychometric validation.     

Mesure du bien-être psychologique dans un contexte de réadaptation fonctionnelle

The purpose of this study is to develop a valid, sensitive and reliable tool to measure psychological well-being in rehabilitation context. Psychologists working in different European countries, set out ideas on the basis of their experience and collected data from the people involved; then the researchers in social psychology analysed this data and guided the practitioners approach by developing a tool based on scientific indicators. Factor analyses allowed to reorganize the initial questionnaire and to define 4 factors important to appreciate psychological well-being in this context: cognitive and social abilities, communication skills about their own difficulties, knowledge of their health, and emotional coping. The final tool appears to be sensitive to evolution during the rehabilitation process on two factors: communication skills and emotional coping.     

Intuitive physics and cognitive algebra: A review

IntroductionIntuitive physics explores how people without a formal instruction in physics intuitively understand physical phenomena. After a general overview of the topics of current research in intuitive physics and a discussion of current debates, this paper provides an introduction to Information Integration Theory (IIT).ObjectiveBy means of examples, it is shown how IIT can be used to directly compare the algebraic structure of physical laws and the algebraic structure of cognitive representations of these laws.MethodThe review considers about 40 years of research on the application of IIT in the field of intuitive physics. Occasionally, reference is also made to intuitive physics studies outside this theoretical framework.ResultsThe reviewed studies highlight four main factors that affect the degree of consistency between physical laws and cognitive algebraic laws: the participants’ age, their familiarity with the event under study, the type of task, and possible learning processes.ConclusionThe last part of the article discusses the implications of the results of the reviewed studies for the two main current hypotheses on the nature of intuitive physics, namely, that intuitive physics may be based on sub-optimal heuristics or may be based on the internalization of physical laws.     

The acceptability of prophylactic mastectomy among lay people and health professionals: A pilot study

IntroductionWomen with certain genetic mutations have a risk of up to 85% of developing breast cancer. Bilateral prophylactic mastectomy is the most effective way to reduce risk of cancer.ObjectiveThis pilot study focuses on the acceptability of prophylactic breast surgery and examines, in a series of concrete cases, the cognitive processes by which health professionals and lay people make their judgments. This research also aims to identify the factors involved in these judgments. An additional objective is to determine whether there are groups with different patterns of responses.MethodWe recruited two samples in France, one comprising 90 lay people and the other 30 health professionals (n = 120) and asked them how acceptable it would be for a woman at a high risk of breast cancer to undergo a prophylactic surgery (mastectomy), in each of the 64 scenarios presented to them. The scenarios were all combinations of two levels of age, of marital status, of parenting status, of body appearance investment, of reconstructive surgery and also two levels of the person suggesting oncogenetic diagnosis.ResultsWe found that lay people and health professionals structured the factors in the scenarios in nearly the same way. They assigned importance to three factors: the most important one was reconstructive surgery, and then the age of the woman. The least important factor was the person who requested the genetic test. Furthermore, the age of the participants, and knowing a person who had cancer impacted the degree of acceptability assigned by participants. Being a lay person or a health professional did not have a direct impact on acceptability but influenced the integration of factors. In addition, cluster analysis showed that only a small group was opposed to mastectomy.ConclusionThis pilot study demonstrated that three factors have to be considered when judging the acceptability of prophylactic mastectomy and showed a common cognitive foundation for future discussion, at the levels of both clinical care and health policy, of the conditions under which prophylactic surgery might be acceptable.     

Personal assessment of intimacy in relationships: Validity and measurement invariance across gender

IntroductionIntimacy is central in close relationships and a variety of definitions and instruments exist in scientific literature, making this concept complex to investigate. Furthermore, gender differences were identified in the definition and experience of intimacy.ObjectivesThis study aims to confirm the three-factor structure of the personal assessment of intimacy in relationships (PAIR, Schaefer & Olson, 1981), commonly used in research and marital therapy, developed by Moore et al. (1998) and to examine the measurement equivalence of the scale across gender.MethodA confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on the responses of 313 women and 251 men in committed relationships in a French population. Measurement equivalence of the scale across gender was then conducted with the best-fitting model.ResultsThe results of CFA and post-hoc analyses revealed that the three-factor model revised with 18 items was the best fit to the data: (1) engagement (10 items), (2) communication (5 items), (3) shared friends (3 items). PAIR-18 displayed a lack of metric and scalar invariance across gender but estimated means of latent variables is not very different between the full invariant model and the unconstraint models.ConclusionNevertheless, consideration of gender differences in the construct of intimacy is very important for theoretical research on intimacy in romantic relationships and for the interventions of marital therapists based on intimacy.     

The usefulness of the averaging rule in consumer studies: A partial replication with an eye at neuroeconomics

IntroductionInformation Integration Theory models how different pieces of information are combined by people into unified judgments. Its contribution to decision-making and to consumer studies distinctly relies on a set of empirically established algebraic models for reflecting the cognitive structure of judgments and decisions (cognitive algebra). Among these, the averaging model has particular properties, allowing for operationally distinguishing between the elusive notions of psychological value and importance.ObjectivesThe main goal of the paper is to support the applicability and robustness of the averaging model in consumer studies, by partially replicating a published study that documented averaging. Additionally, it tentatively explores potential contributions of the averaging model to neuroeconomics, by simultaneously recording ratings and electroencephalographic (EEG) responses.MethodsTwenty-five participants rated on a satisfaction scale (format 0-20) a set of experimental conditions arising from the full factorial combination of three levels of sneakers’ branded models and three levels of purchase prices, expanded with conditions in which brands were presented in isolation (sub-design). Simultaneous electrophysiological monitoring was performed with an EEG mask (international system 10-20, referenced to the mastoid apophyses). Segmentation and processing of evoked response potentials were done in Matlab. Both ratings and magnitudes of event-related potentials (ERP) components were analyzed through inspection of the factorial plots with the support of repeated-measures ANOVAs.ResultsThe rating responses revealed an averaging model, with equal weighting in a cluster of subjects and differential weighting in another, but more overall importance of the branded model variable in both cases. The only tentative suggestions of relevant neural correlates involved the LPP and P300 components of the ERP and a reduced number of EEG channels (P4, P3, Fz and T3).ConclusionsThe averaging model is robustly applicable and useful in consumer studies, both for measurement (value and importance) and consumer segmentation (cognitively based clusterization) purposes. While calling attention to the later components of the ERP at specific topographies, the paucity of EEG results suggests that ERP peak amplitude may not be a useful measure for the purpose. Apart from that, a functional measurement approach to neuroeconomics seems feasible in principle and an explorable path in the future.     

La mesure en psychologie : pour une démarche pragmatique

Measurement in psychology is at the heart of a major debate in the academic literature. We aim to contribute a critical discussion of this issue. We propose to reposition the object of measurement, namely mental properties. On the basis of a clarified ontology, we consider that an empirical approach to measuring a mental property is possible. This approach must be resolutely pragmatic–realist. In practical terms, this means that a test needs to be renegotiated relative to the context. The validation of quantitative measures requires verification of a certain number of criteria. Consequently, our work critically explores measures as they are usually conceived in psychometrics domain.     

Advances in functional brain imaging technology and developmental neuro‐psychology: their applications in the Jungian analytic domain

Analytical psychology shares with many other psychotherapies the important task of repairing the consequences of developmental trauma. The majority of analytic patients come from compromised early developmental backgrounds: they may have experienced neglect, abuse, or failures of empathic resonance from their carers. Functional brain imagery techniques including Quantitative Electroencephalogram (QEEG), and functional Magnetic Resonance Imagery (fMRI), allow us to track mental processes in ways beyond verbal reportage and introspection. This independent perspective is useful for developing new psychodynamic hypotheses, testing current ones, providing diagnostic markers, and monitoring treatment progress. Jung, with the Word Association Test, grasped these principles 100 years ago. Brain imaging techniques have contributed to powerful recent advances in our understanding of neurodevelopmental processes in the first three years of life. If adequate nurturance is compromised, a range of difficulties may emerge. This has important implications for how we understand and treat our psychotherapy clients. The paper provides an overview of functional brain imaging and advances in developmental neuropsychology, and looks at applications of some of these findings (including neurofeedback) in the Jungian psychotherapy domain.     

The chameleon effect,the temporal aspects of mimicry and their impact on service measurement

BackgroundIn an experiment conducted in a natural setting, we test the link between mimicry, the amount of time during which the mimicry behavior takes place, and its impact on service quality.MethodsCable TV clients (n = 120) were randomly assigned to six experimental conditions (2 mimicry conditions: verbal mimicry vs. no mimicry x 3 interaction time: 5 vs. 10 vs. 15 minutes). Perceived service quality served as the dependent measurement.ResultsA main effect of mimicry was found on service quality: a cable TV representative was perceived more favorably when he mimicked the customer. Importantly, it was shown that even small portions of mimicry are beneficial, meaning that practitioners do not have to mimic someone for a long time to achieve benefits.ConclusionThe paper shows new benefits for the mimicker: more positive judgments by the mimickee regarding the impact on several different levels of service quality.