“We are people”: Ingroup humanization as an existential defense.

Prior research has shown the importance of humanness in shaping one's social identity, but no research has examined why this is the case. The present article reveals that humanizing the ingroup serves a terror management function. In 3 studies, Italian (Studies 1 and 2) and American (Study 3) participants humanized their own group more when their mortality was salient. In Study 3, humanizing the ingroup also functioned to reduce the accessibility of death thoughts. Together, these studies provide clear support for terror management theory as an explanatory framework for ingroup humanization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"It's the End of the World as We Know It": Threat and the Spatial-Symbolic Self.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 86(2) of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (see record 2007-16903-001). The article contained two errors. On page 35, second column, line 14, two of the word fragments are notated incorrectly. The word shown as s[k]ull should be sk[u]ll, and the word shown as as[h]es should be as[h]e[s].] According to amoebic self theory, the boundary defining the self encompasses 3 levels of self-representation--bodily, social, and spatial-symbolic. Study 1 related a newly developed measure of individual differences in sensitivity to boundary threat across these 3 domains to values and disgust sensitivity. Four subsequent studies focused on spatial-symbolic threat sensitivity and related it to right-wing authoritarianism, aversive reactions to unfamiliar out-groups, and revulsion to vermin. A final experiment illustrates how a salient spatial-symbolic threat (dust mites) can elicit reactions toward out-groups that closely parallel mortality salience effects observed in research inspired by terror management theory, even though dust mites do not elicit mortality concerns. The importance of preserving the familiar in order to preserve the self is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The victim and the psychologist: Changing perceptions of Israeli holocaust survivors by the mental health community in the past 50 years.

The article focuses on the changing themes of psychological theory in regard to posttraumatic effects of the Holocaust on its survivors in the course of the past 50 years. An examination of pertinent changes in the Israeli society during that time period helps clarify these themes. Three stages of change have been identified, each with its different concerns, key issues, consensual answers, and attitudes toward Holocaust survivors. These concerns are (a) who survived? (b) are survivors psychologically healthy or sick? and (c) have the posttraumatic effects extended beyond the survivors (e.g., to their families)? The analysis reveals similarity between the concerns that guided the development of psychological theory and those that governed social discourse on the Holocaust and its survivors in Israeli society. The implications of this analogy for the development of psychological theory and the understanding of societal coping with massive social traumas are discussed. The analysis draws on psychological literature on posttraumatic stress and on sociohistorical analyses of Israeli society. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Military and Veteran Populations.

While concerns about the psychological effects of war are not new, only recently has systematic attention been paid to such problems among past and present military personnel. There is increasing recognition that mental health has serious implications for operational performance, retention, and compensation. Although little controlled research exists with this population, preliminary evidence suggests that psychological treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder may be beneficial, albeit less so than for civilian populations. This article reviews evidence for each of several psychological treatment stages: stabilization and engagement, psychoeducation, symptom management, prolonged exposure, cognitive restructuring, and relapse prevention, with particular reference to the clinical issues raised by military personnel. Possible explanations for reduced treatment effects in this population compared with civilians are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social facilitation from Triplett to electronic performance monitoring.

This article reviews the origins and development of social facilitation theory beginning with N. Triplett's (1898) early work during the late 1800s. Early studies of the phenomenon focused on individual performance enhancement when others were present. Performance impairments were observed but not explained until R. B. Zajonc's (1965) integration of previous work that provided a coherent explanation for earlier inconsistencies. Beginning with his drive theory, the authors describe various social, physiological, behavioral, and cognitive explanations for social facilitation that have been advanced over the years and discuss their origins in some of the earliest social psychological research. Finally, the authors present their own framework for examining social facilitation phenomena and highlight problems and opportunities for advancing the theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

'It's the end of the world as we know it': Threat and the spatial-symbolic self": Correction to Burris and Rempel (2004).

Reports an error in 'It's the End of the World as We Know It': Threat and the Spatial-Symbolic Self" by Christopher T. Burris and John K. Rempel (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2004[Jan], Vol 86[1], 19-42). The article contained two errors. On page 35, second column, line 14, two of the word fragments are notated incorrectly. The word shown as s[k]ull should be sk[u]ll, and the word shown as as[h]es should be as[h]e[s]. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2003-11198-002.) According to amoebic self theory, the boundary defining the self encompasses 3 levels of self-representation--bodily, social, and spatial-symbolic. Study 1 related a newly developed measure of individual differences in sensitivity to boundary threat across these 3 domains to values and disgust sensitivity. Four subsequent studies focused on spatial-symbolic threat sensitivity and related it to right-wing authoritarianism, aversive reactions to unfamiliar out-groups, and revulsion to vermin. A final experiment illustrates how a salient spatial-symbolic threat (dust mites) can elicit reactions toward out-groups that closely parallel mortality salience effects observed in research inspired by terror management theory, even though dust mites do not elicit mortality concerns. The importance of preserving the familiar in order to preserve the self is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exploring the existential function of religion: The effect of religious fundamentalism and mortality salience on faith-based medical refusals.

Decisions to rely on religious faith over medical treatment for health conditions represent an important but understudied phenomenon. In an effort to understand some of the psychological underpinnings of such decisions, the present research builds from terror management theory to examine whether reminders of death motivate individuals strongly invested in a religious worldview (i.e., fundamentalists) to rely on religious beliefs when making medical decisions. The results showed that heightened concerns about mortality led those high in religious fundamentalism to express greater endorsement of prayer as a medical substitute (Study 1) and to perceive prayer as a more effective medical treatment (Study 2). Similarly, high fundamentalists were more supportive of religiously motivated medical refusals (Study 3) and reported an increased willingness to rely on faith alone for medical treatment (Study 4) following reminders of death. Finally, affirmations of the legitimacy of divine intervention in health contexts functioned to solidify a sense of existential meaning among fundamentalists who were reminded of personal mortality (Study 5). The existential importance of religious faith and the health-relevant implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From the Grave to the Cradle: Evidence That Mortality Salience Engenders a Desire for Offspring.

On the basis of terror management theory, the authors hypothesized that reminders of mortality (mortality salience) should promote the desire for offspring to the extent that it does not conflict with other self-relevant worldviews that also serve to manage existential concerns. In 3 studies, men, but not women, desired more children after mortality salience compared with various control conditions. In support of the authors' hypothesis that women's desire for offspring was inhibited as a function of concerns about career success, Study 3 showed that career strivings moderated the effect of mortality salience on a desire for offspring for female participants only; furthermore, Study 4 revealed that when the compatibility of having children and a career was made salient, female participants responded to mortality salience with an increased number of desired children. Taken together, the findings suggest that a desire for offspring can function as a terror management defense mechanism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Children of the dream" revisited: 70 years of collective early child care in Israeli kibbutzim.

This article focuses on kibbutz care for infants and young children. It reviews (1) past and present practices of collective education within the context of its historical background and guiding principles and (2) the results of developmental research regarding the impact of multiple caregiving and group care on children's socioemotional development within the framework of attachment theory. The research results indicate that, from a psychological point of view, collective sleeping is a problematic aspect of kibbutz child rearing. However, group care and multiple caregiving of high quality do not necessarily interfere with the formation of close relationships between parents and children or with the development of social skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnic conflict and the psychology of liberation in Guatemala, Peru, and Puerto Rico

Ethnic identity and conflict in Guatemala, Peru, and Puerto Rico are complexly embedded within dynamic systems of class- and race-based geopolitics. Whereas overt violence and terror have permeated both Guatemalan and Peruvian societies, overt conflict has undermined Puerto Rican nationhood. Despite similarities among these 3 countries of Hispano-America, there are important particularities that inform psychological theory and practice. This article explores selected contributions of a psychology of liberation informed by indigenous psychologies and reflexive praxis. The challenges these conflicts and their consequences pose to psychologists seeking to work with populations most deeply affected by these social inequalities are analyzed. It concludes with suggestions of how psychology can move toward the development of community-based responses to psychosocial oppression that foster enhanced individual and collective development in a context of social change.     

Relational identity theory: A systematic approach for transforming the emotional dimension of conflict.

Emotions are a vital dimension in conflicts among nation-states and communities affiliated by common ethnic, economic, or political interests. Yet the individuals most responsible for managing such conflicts—heads of state, CEOs, intellectual or religious leaders—are often blind to the psychological forces affecting their interests. During 20 years of international research, consulting, and teaching, I have developed a program for teaching thought leaders how to apply psychological principles to achieve their aims while also reducing negative outcomes such as violence, social upheaval, and economic displacement. In this article, I present relational identity theory (RIT), a theoretical and intellectual framework I have originated to help people understand and deal with key emotional dimensions of conflict management. I argue that national and communal bonds are essentially tribal in nature, and I describe how a tribe's unaddressed relational identity concerns make it susceptible to what I term the tribes effect, a rigidification of its relational identity. I provide strategies based on RIT for mitigating the tribes effect and thus enhancing global security. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Function of Form: Terror Management and Structuring the Social World.

Drawing on lay epistemology theory (A. W. Kruglanski, 1980, 1989), the authors assessed a terror management analysis (J. Greenberg, S. Solomon, & T. Pyszczynski, 1997) of the psychological function of structuring social information. Seven studies tested variations of the hypothesis that simple, benign interpretations of social information function, in part, to manage death-related anxiety. In Studies 1-4, mortality salience (MS) exaggerated primacy effects and reliance on representative information, decreased preference for a behaviorally inconsistent target among those high in personal need for structure (PNS), and increased high-PNS participants' preference for interpersonal balance. In Studies 5-7, MS increased high-PNS participants' preference for interpretations that suggest a just world and a benevolent causal order of events in the social world. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based treatment and practice: New opportunities to bridge clinical research and practice, enhance the knowledge base, and improve patient care.

The long-standing divide between research and practice in clinical psychology has received increased attention in view of the development of evidence-based interventions and practice and public interest, oversight, and management of psychological services. The gap has been reflected in concerns from those in practice about the applicability of findings from psychotherapy research as a guide to clinical work and concerns from those in research about how clinical work is conducted. Research and practice are united in their commitment to providing the best of psychological knowledge and methods to improve the quality of patient care. This article highlights issues in the research- practice debate as a backdrop for rapprochement. Suggestions are made for changes and shifts in emphases in psychotherapy research and clinical practice. The changes are designed to ensure that both research and practice contribute to our knowledge base and provide information that can be used more readily to improve patient care and, in the process, reduce the perceived and real hiatus between research and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Science and sentiment: Overview of research on crowding and human behavior.

Posits that, despite the increased salience of overcrowding as a social issue, it has generated little behavioral research among human Ss. Experimental evidence from the laboratory is slight and partly inconsistent; problems of definition and measurement obscure analysis in the field. A prevailing view, however, associates high population density with indexes of social and psychological malaise. This article reviews this position in light of seminal comparative and social experimentation. While it is considered difficult to draw firm conclusions from the existing meager body of data, the balance of evidence appears not to support any simple causal relationship between density and socio- or psychopathology. Prognoses of the horrors of overcrowding are judged to be imprecise and premature. Recent research has tended to distinguish between density and crowding, referring to the former in terms of sociospatial factors and to the latter in terms of individual perception. It is suggested that any theory of crowding should encompass the intrapsychic case and that research should attempt to uncover evidence, if any, of neurophysiological responses to sociospatial variations in density. (58 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology and the limits to prison pain: Confronting the coming crisis in Eighth Amendment law.

This article examines the nexus between modern psychological theory (especially contextual or situational models of behavior), contemporary prison policy, and the legal concept of cruel and unusual punishment. It briefly reviews the history of imprisonment in the United States and the role of psychology in the development of prison punishment. An analysis of research on the psychological effects of imprisonment is presented, followed by a discussion of contemporary 8th Amendment law. Finally, modern psychological theory is used as the basis for a series of proposed correctional and legal reforms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consultation and Collaboration: An Action Research Model for the Full-Service School.

Growing concerns with issues such as youth violence and delinquency have led to more investment in schools as points of human service delivery as well as education centers, especially in urban areas (L. Cuban, 1989; W. Damon, 1997; W. E. Davis, 1995a, 1995b). These "full-service schools"--also known as "community schools"-- provide on-site medical, dental, psychological, social, and other services in partnership with community-based organizations (R. F. Kronick, 2000). This article describes an action research approach to a complex case study, demonstrating the application of innovative methods and strategies available to the mental health consultant in full-service school settings. It highlights critical issues such as forming alliances among parents, administrators, teachers, counselors, and other stakeholders and basing behavioral management team decisions on clearly explained data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adjusting to death: The effects of mortality salience and self-esteem on psychological well-being, growth motivation, and maladaptive behavior.

This research builds on terror management theory to examine the relationships among self-esteem, death cognition, and psychological adjustment. Self-esteem was measured (Studies 1–2, 4–8) or manipulated (Study 3), and thoughts of death were manipulated (Studies 1–3, 5–8) or measured (Study 4). Subsequently, satisfaction with life (Study 1), subjective vitality (Study 2), meaning in life (Studies 3–5), positive and negative affect (Studies 1, 4, 5), exploration (Study 6), state anxiety (Study 7), and social avoidance (Study 8) were assessed. Death-related cognition (a) decreased satisfaction with life, subjective vitality, meaning in life, and exploration; (b) increased negative affect and state anxiety; and (c) exacerbated social avoidance for individuals with low self-esteem but not for those with high self-esteem. These effects occurred only when death thoughts were outside of focal attention. Parallel effects were found in American (Studies 1–4, 6–8) and Chinese (Study 5) samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Women's health: Review and research agenda as we approach the 21st century.

This article reviews past research and projects future research directions regarding women's health. Sex differences in mortality and morbidity, along with evidence that the quality and quantity of these differences are changing, are examined. Over the past decade, concurrent with dramatic changes in lifestyle and social roles for women, mortality rates have shifted, resulting in a decreasing advantage for women. Explaining the consequences of these dynamic changes requires understanding the health effects of such variables as perceived control, the experience of life roles, perceived and actual social support, and redefinition of gender roles. The future portends additional changes that will significantly affect women's health. In establishing an explicit psychological research agenda on women's health, (a) general recommendations for research are provided and (b) important issues that have not yet received a great deal of research attention (e.g., women and acquired immune deficiency syndrome [AIDS], psychopharmacology, reproductive technologies) are highlighted. This article expands the current discourse in health psychology and raises a number of issues for serious consideration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sensitive questions in surveys.

Psychologists have worried about the distortions introduced into standardized personality measures by social desirability bias. Survey researchers have had similar concerns about the accuracy of survey reports about such topics as illicit drug use, abortion, and sexual behavior. The article reviews the research done by survey methodologists on reporting errors in surveys on sensitive topics, noting parallels and differences from the psychological literature on social desirability. The findings from the survey studies suggest that misreporting about sensitive topics is quite common and that it is largely situational. The extent of misreporting depends on whether the respondent has anything embarrassing to report and on design features of the survey. The survey evidence also indicates that misreporting on sensitive topics is a more or less motivated process in which respondents edit the information they report to avoid embarrassing themselves in the presence of an interviewer or to avoid repercussions from third parties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A cross-cultural analysis of the behavior of women and men: Implications for the origins of sex differences.

This article evaluates theories of the origins of sex differences in human behavior. It reviews the cross-cultural evidence on the behavior of women and men in nonindustrial societies, especially the activities that contribute to the sex-typed division of labor and patriarchy. To explain the cross-cultural findings, the authors consider social constructionism, evolutionary psychology, and their own biosocial theory. Supporting the biosocial analysis, sex differences derive from the interaction between the physical specialization of the sexes, especially female reproductive capacity, and the economic and social structural aspects of societies. This biosocial approach treats the psychological attributes of women and men as emergent given the evolved characteristics of the sexes, their developmental experiences, and their situated activity in society. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)