What college students really think about ethnic student organizations.

In this study, the authors examined European, Hispanic, and African American college students' attitudes toward ethnic student organizations (ESOs). Based on data from Study 1 (N = 750), it was found that students across ethnic groups expressed uncertainty about whether ESOs were beneficial/necessary, fair/acceptable, and about their interest in joining an ESO. As a group, Hispanic and African American students did not believe that ESOs contributed to racial or ethnic separatism on campus, whereas European Americans expressed uncertainty about that possibility. In Study 2, a separate sample of students (N = 631) was randomly assigned to read the mission statement of a White, Hispanic, or African American ESO. Consistent with asymmetry theory, students in general judged the White American ESO as significantly less beneficial/necessary, less fair/acceptable, and as contributing more to racial/ethnic separatism than the Hispanic and African American ESOs. European, Hispanic, and African American students viewed their own ESO most favorably, although European American students were more consistent in their appraisals of ESOs irrespective of the ethnic focus of the ESO. Implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What proverb understanding reveals about how people think.

The ability to understand proverbial sayings, such as a rolling stone gathers no moss has been of great interest to researchers in many areas of psychology. Most psychologists assume that understanding the figurative meanings of proverbs requires various kinds of higher order cognitive abilities. The authors review the findings on proverb interpretation to examine the question of what proverb use and understanding reveals about the ways normal and dysfunctional individuals think. The widely held idea that failure to provide a figurative interpretation of a proverb necessarily reflects a deficit in specialized abstract thinking is rejected. Moreover, the ability to correctly explain what a proverb means does not necessarily imply that an individual can think abstractly. Various empirical evidence, nonetheless, suggests that the ability to understand many proverbs reveals the presence of metaphorical schemes that are ubiquitous in everyday thought. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From trashed to treasured: A grounded theory analysis of the found object.

Both research and applied psychologists pay surprisingly little attention to the material objects encountered in day-to-day living, even though the significance of these objects in human development has been profound. Drawing on literature from the visual arts, consumer behavior, anthropology, psychology, art therapy, and museum studies, this is the first known article to examine the psychological, social, and aesthetic factors involved in found and second-hand object use. A survey design employing a qualitative questionnaire, analyzed by grounded theory, was given to 65 people from 8 countries. Results identified a found object process that involves the interaction of aesthetic, cognitive, emotive, mnemonic, ecological, and creative factors in the seeking, discovery, and utilization of found objects. This has potential implications for the use of material objects within health care by applied psychologists and allied professionals. An initial theoretical explanation about the use of found objects is proposed to help guide further research in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Shame and resilience in adulthood: A grounded theory study.

Although shame plays a vital role in psychosocial functioning and development, it has also been implicated in several mental health problems, such as depression, suicidal behavior, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Given the potentially debilitating impact of shame on adjustment, an understanding of resilience in the face of this emotion is essential. The purpose of this study was to explore how adults bounce back from significant shame experiences, based on the subjective perspectives of participants. Interviews were conducted with 13 adults who recalled events or situations that elicited intense feelings of shame. Grounded theory was used in the collection and analysis of the data. In the findings, shame is conceptualized as an assault on the self, where the individual's self-concept, social connection, and sense of power and control come under attack. Individuals bounce back from this adversity through a process of self-reconstruction. This process is represented by the core category rebuilding of the self and by 5 interrelated subcategories, including connecting, refocusing, accepting, understanding, and resisting. Implications for counseling and directions for further research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What do psychologists think about mandatory continuing education? A survey of Pennsylvania practitioners.

Would psychologists voluntarily participate in continuing education (CE) if it were not mandatory to do so? Does CE help make psychologists more effective clinicians? These and other aspects of mandatory CE were explored in a survey of 168 licensed psychologists in Pennsylvania. Although 75% of respondents were in favor of mandatory CE, the sample was divided over the question of whether they would obtain the required credits if not mandatory. Forty-five percent of respondents reported that attendance at CE programs often increases their clinical effectiveness, whereas 41% reported this as occurring sometimes, and 11% as only rarely. Because this survey was conducted in Pennsylvania, the results are discussed in light of varying CE requirements in other states. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of group identity on resource use in a simulated commons dilemma.

Used 172 undergraduates in 3 experiments to assess the effects of making salient either a superordinate (collective) or subordinate (differentiating) group identity in heterogeneous groups. In Exp I, 22 male and 36 female Ss were assigned to either a superordinate-group identity (small community resident behavior vs other areas) or a subordinate-group identity (behavior of young people vs elderly people) condition and were asked to perform a computer task individually; Ss were led to believe they were interacting with 5 other persons (2 real and 3 bogus Ss) in their group in accumulating as many points as possible while making the resource last as long as possible. Bogus feedback about group behavior was given. In Exp II, 29 male and 19 female Ss were told that the bogus Ss were economics majors and were asked to perform as in Exp I. In Exp III, the level of social-group identity for 40 male and 26 female Ss was manipulated by varying the common fate of the group members. Results of all 3 experiments show support for the hypothesis that individual restraint would be most likely when a superordinate group identity was made salient and under conditions in which feedback indicated that the common resource was being depleted. A sex-response difference found in Exp I was not sustained in subsequent experiments. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The function of theory in a dilemma of path analysis.

Argues that path analysis allows increased confidence in making causal inference from correlational data by putting the focal relationships into more complete multivariate causal contexts. This necessarily increases the number of variables in the system. However, a mathematical consequence of increasing the number of variables is that the number of possible systems from which one must choose the right context rapidly increases and subsequently may result in decreased rather than increased confidence in causal inference. (For example, there are over 1,000,000 different 5-variable system configurations to choose from.) Good theory helps ameliorate this dilemma. A conservative approach to model specification is prescribed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

'I'm cooperative, but you're greedy": Some cognitive tendencies in a commons dilemma.

Investigated the effect of 2 resource management outcome variables (personal and group) on 4 classic cognitive tendencies (fundamental attribution error, actor–observer effect, self-serving biases, and self-centered bias) assessed at the end of a commons dilemma simulation in which Ss harvested valued resources from a shared, replenishable pool. A fifth cognitive tendency (false consensus) was examined as a function of Ss' stated harvest intentions before the dilemma began. 171 undergraduates were assigned to 1 of 34 mixed-sex groups. The false consensus effect was apparent among heavy harvesters. Responsibility for outcomes was seen as more personal than situational for both self and others: the fundamental attribution error was strongly evident, but the reverse of the actor–observer bias was found. Harvesters took more than their proportional share of responsibility for the outcomes, yet they assigned even more responsibility to others. Light harvesters disclaimed responsibility for damaged commons when others harvested heavily; heavy harvesters took considerable responsibility for poorly managed commons. In sum, cognitive biases and tendencies were very evident and, as a whole, tended toward self-servingness, but did not always take their traditional forms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group process and learning: A grounded theory model of group supervision.

While there is a small but growing body of literature on group supervision, it has been limited to a handful of qualitative studies, and quantitative studies that have focused on specific aspects of the supervision process. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical model of the process of group supervision and its relation to student learning. A grounded theory design with some features of consensual qualitative research was utilized to achieve this goal. Fifteen counseling psychology doctoral students and three supervisors comprising 13 supervision groups completed questionnaires following each group supervision session over the course of six semesters. Varying degrees of safety were reported by participants and group supervision was either facilitated by safety or inhibited by a lack of safety. However, when students reported feeling safe, a greater variety of learning occurred than when they reported they felt less safe. Also, within a supervision group, students experienced the group differently based on their ability to manage anxiety and develop supportive relationships with other peers in the group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Doing the things we do: A grounded theory of academic procrastination.

The authors conducted a grounded theory study of academic procrastination to explore adaptive and maladaptive aspects of procrastination and to help guide future empirical research. They discuss previous research on the definition and dimensionality of procrastination and describe the study in which interview data were collected in 4 stages, identifying 33 initial categories and 29 macrothemes. Findings were validated by member checks. The authors describe in detail informants' perceptions of procrastination, which were used to construct a 5-component paradigm model that includes adaptive (i.e., cognitive efficiency, peak experience) and maladaptive (i.e., fear of failure, postponement) dimensions of procrastination. These dimensions, in turn, are related to conditions that affect the amount and type of procrastination, as well as cognitive (i.e., prioritizing, optimization) and affective (i.e., reframing, self-handicapping) coping mechanisms. The authors propose 6 general principles and relate them and the paradigm model to previous research. Limitations of the research are discussed, as well as implications for future theory development and validation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What do we really know about Helicobacter pylori in gastric ulcer disease?

Advances in diagnostic and therapeutic technology have not appreciably changed the outlook of patients with pancreatic cancer. While those patients presenting with localized resectable disease have the best prognosis, local control and intra-abdominal metastases remain significant obstacles to survival. Localized chemoradiation has modestly improved median survival in localized and locally advanced disease. Patients presenting with locally advanced disease at diagnosis benefit from surgical palliation which includes biliary and gastric bypass. Intraoperative interstitial brachytherapy has been effective when utilized at laparotomy to improve local control in locally advanced disease. Advances in laparoscopic techniques have provided the ability to more accurately stage patients prior to laparotomy and perform palliative procedures without the need for laparotomy. The utilization of high-dose-rate brachytherapy has proven effective in palliating obstructive symptoms with minimal morbidity on an outpatient basis. Recent efforts have focused on preoperative chemoradiation to improve resectability in selected patients and prophylactic hepatic irradiation to reduce metastases for patients with locally advanced disease.     

Compulsory collegial guidance. What do candidates in general practice think about training of practical procedures?

Sleep disorders are common and well documented in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, most data on sleep in patients with PD are derived from selected patient populations. This community-based survey evaluated the prevalence of and risk factors for sleep disturbances in an unselected group of 245 patients with PD and two control groups of similar age and sex distribution: 100 patients with another chronic disease (diabetes mellitus) and 100 healthy elderly persons. Nearly two thirds of the patients with PD reported sleep disorders, significantly more than among patients with diabetes (46%) and healthy control subjects (33%). About a third of the patients with PD rated their overall nighttime problem as moderate to severe. The most common sleep disorders reported by the patients with PD were frequent awakening (sleep fragmentation) and early awakening. Sleep initiation showed no significant difference compared with the control groups. Pain and cramps were not more prevalent among the patients with PD, but they were more likely to report sleep disturbed by myoclonic jerks. Use of sedatives was common in all three groups but significantly higher in the PD group than in the healthy elderly. Symptoms of depression and duration of levodopa treatment showed a significant correlation with sleep disorders in the PD group. This community-based study confirms that sleep disorders are common and distressing in patients with PD. The strong correlation between depression and sleep disorders in patients with PD underlines the importance of identifying and treating both conditions in these patients.     

What do counseling psychologists think about their graduate training? Some positive and negative reflections.

Summarizes the positive and negative comments of counseling psychologists about their graduate training and suggestions for improvement, collected as part of a previous study by the authors and C. D. Himmell (see record 1986-28363-001). The desire for a more applied emphasis in training is reflected in many of the suggestions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Motivation losses in small groups: A social dilemma analysis.

A theory developed to account for behavior in social dilemmas—situations in which the rational pursuit of self-interest can lead to collective disaster—was applied to the analysis of group motivation losses. Two group motivation loss effects demonstrated in previous research, the social-loafing effect and the free-rider effect, are shown to follow from social dilemma theories. An experiment with 75 undergraduates was performed to empirically demonstrate a 3rd motivation loss effect, termed the "sucker" effect. It was hypothesized that group members would reduce their efforts if they had a capable partner who free-rode on their efforts, that is, who was capable of contributing to the group but would not. This prediction was confirmed. The effect was particularly strong in males. Potential remedies for such motivation losses are discussed. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Massive IQ gains in 14 nations: What IQ tests really measure.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 101(3) of Psychological Bulletin (see record 2008-10701-001). In this article, it was wrongly stated that that U. Schallberger put forward a hypothesis or hypotheses concerning the magnitude of Swiss IQ gains; in fact, he did not. The erratum includes the author's clarification.] Data from 14 nations reveal IQ gains ranging from 5 to 25 points in a single generation. Some of the largest gains occur on culturally reduced tests and tests of fluid intelligence. The Norwegian data show that a nation can make significant gains on a culturally reduced test while suffering losses on other tests. The Dutch data proved the existence of unknown environmental factors so potent that they account for 15 of the 20 points gained. The hypothesis that best fits the results is that IQ tests do not measure intelligence but rather a correlate with a weak causal link to intelligence. This hypothesis can also explain difficult trends on various mental tests, such as the combination of IQ gains and Scholastic Aptitude Test losses in the United States. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What I think you think of me: Women's reactions to being viewed as beneficiaries of preferential selection.

Undergraduate women (N?=?150) participated in 2 experimental studies designed to examine the effects of knowing that another believed they were beneficiaries of preferential selection. Results indicated that participants' awareness that the other viewed them as having been selected on the basis of gender rather than merit (a) prompted inferences that the other held negative expectations of their competence (Studies 1 and 2); (b) produced timid, performance-limiting task decisions as well as negative self-regard when they were uncertain about their task ability level (Studies 1 and 2); and (c) produced ambitious, performance-maximizing task decisions when they knew themselves to be high in task ability and also were motivated to make a good impression (Study 2). In addition, in both studies negative affect resulted from the participants' knowledge that the other viewed them as having been preferentially selected. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What does the Least Preferred Co-Worker Scale really measure? A cognitive interpretation.

The Least Preferred Co-Worker Scale (LPC) has been variously interpreted as a measure of leadership style or as a measure of the cognitive complexity of the leader. In this study, using 112 Ss including business students, managers, and systems analysts, the LPC scale scores were correlated with 2 other measures of differentiation and with 3 cognitive measures in an attempt to assess the interpretation of the scale as a cognitive measure. Results show that while the low end of the LPC seems to be associated with cognitive simplicity, the high-least preferred co-worker S was not unequivocally cognitively complex. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What we know about predoctoral internship training: A review.

Each year approximately 2,500–3,000 students, primarily from clinical and counseling psychology programs, seek internship programs. But what is known about this key educational event? This article attempts to answer that question by reviewing the internship-related literature of the last 22 years. Existing literature demonstrates that there is a substantial body of knowledge but also points to the need for updates of old data and for additional new investigations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)