Freedom and tyranny: Descriptions and prescriptions.

Responds to comments by A. Ahuvia, D. Resnick, J. L. Brand, and R. Solomon (see record 2002-15384-005, 2002-15384-006, 2002-15384-007, and 2002-15384-008, respectively) concerning B. Schwartz's (see record 2000-13324-008) discussion of excessive personal freedom, autonomy, self-determination, and life satisfaction and meaning. Schwartz states that the extent that psychology can develop a substantive vision of a good (healthy, productive, socially responsive and responsible) human life, psychologists should articulate it, and they should try to rally public opinion around it to encourage people to pursue it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Corporal punishment, physical abuse, and the burden of proof: Reply to Baumrind, Larzelere, and Cowan (2002), Holden (2002), and Parke (2002).

This reply explores issues reviewed in comments by D. Baumrind, R. E. Larzelere, and P. A. Cowan (2002, see record 2002-01514-002), G. W. Holden (2002, see record 2002-01514-003), and R. D. Parke (2002, see record 2002-01514-004) on E. T. Gershoff's (2002, see record 2002-01514-001) article on parental punishment. The current discussion includes how corporal punishment should be defined, how corporal punishment can be distinguished from physical abuse, and whether established associations with child behaviors are best thought of as parent- or child-driven effects. In light of their comments, Gershoff herein revises the process-context model, revisits the issue of whether current knowledge is sufficient to condemn the use of parental corporal punishment, and concludes that lack of demonstrated positive effects and the potential links to physical abuse argue for discouraging corporal punishment in favor of alternative methods of discipline. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"That swimsuit becomes you: Sex differences in self-objectification, restrained eating, and math performance": Correction to Fredrickson et al. (1998).

Reports an error in "That swimsuit becomes you: Sex differences in self-objectification, restrained eating, and math performance" by Barbara L. Fredrickson, Tomi-Ann Roberts, Stephanie M. Noll, Diane M. Quinn and Jean M. Twenge (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1998[Jul], Vol 75[1], 269-284). This article contains errors in the Participants sections. The corrected information is included in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1998-04530-020.) Objectification theory (B. L. Fredrickson & T Roberts, 1997) posits that American culture socializes women to adopt observers' perspectives on their physical selves. This self-objectification is hypothesized to (a) produce body shame, which in turn leads to restrained eating, and (b) consume attentional resources, which is manifested in diminished mental performance. Two experiments manipulated self-objectification by having participants try on a swimsuit or a sweater. Experiment 1 tested 72 women and found that self-objectification increased body shame, which in turn predicted restrained eating. Experiment 2 tested 42 women and 40 men and found that these effects on body shame and restrained eating replicated for women only. Additionally, self-objectification diminished math performance for women only. Discussion centers on the causes and consequences of objectifying women's bodies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bolstering Science and Practice Through Graphism.

Responds to comments by M. Ahmed and C. M. Boisvert (see record 2003-08988-015) and H. Friedman (see record 2003-08988-016) on the article by L. D. Smith et al (see record 2002-18352-001) regarding the role of graphs and tables in hard and soft psychology. Smith et al respond to the challenges of the aforementioned comments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodolatry and Graphicacy.

Comments on the article by L. D. Smith et al (see record 2002-18352-001) regarding the role of graphs and tables in hard and soft psychology. In this comment, the author highlights ignored literature supporting realistic and naturalistic views of science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal employment and child cognitive outcomes: The importance of analytic approach.

J. Brooks-Gunn, W. J. Han, and J. Waldfogel (2002; see record 2002-17576-005) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network (ECCRN; 2000b; see record 2000-02736-015) came to different conclusions about the effects of maternal employment--although they were addressing similar questions using the same data set. Brooks-Gunn et al. concluded that maternal employment in infancy has a negative effect on children's cognitive abilities at age 3, whereas the ECCRN found that early nonmaternal care is not related to children's cognitive abilities in their first 3 years. The authors account for this difference by comparing 2 approaches to data analysis: a top-down testing of continuous variables (the approach used by the ECCRN, 2000b) and an a priori comparison approach that involves pairwise testing of specific dichotomous contrasts (the approach used by Brooks-Gunn et al., 2002). This comparison illustrates the critical importance of analytic approach. It also suggests that Brooks-Gunn et al.'s conclusion from this data set is overstated and should not be used on its own as the basis for practical or policy decisions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Punishment revisited--Science, values, and the right question: Comment on Gershoff (2002).

In this comment on E. T. Gershoff's (2002, see record 2002-01514-001) article on parental punishment, the author notes the historical phases of punishment research. Punishment as a disciplinary tactic is best viewed as a packaged variable and therefore needs to be investigated in the context of other socialization practices. The role of parental values in this debate about punishment utilization and effectiveness merits more consideration. New directions in punishment research are also noted. These include the need for a family-systems perspective, a family-typology approach, a transactional model of punishment, the use of innovation observation and self-report methods, and more culturally sensitive paradigms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obituaries: Elizabeth Douvan (1926-2002).

Presents an obituary for Elizabeth Douvan (1926-2002). Douvan was a pioneer in the study of changing gender, work, and family roles; personal values; and well-being in the second half of the 20th century. Through her research, she contributed to the interdisciplinary fields of social psychology and women's studies while building and strengthening institutions that remain committed to the same mission. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"A finite mixture model of growth trajectories of adolescent alcohol use: Predictors and consequences": Correction to Colder et al. (2002).

Reports an error in "A finite mixture model of growth trajectories of adolescent alcohol use: Predictors and consequences" by Craig R. Colder, Richard T. Campbell, Erin Ruel, Jean L. Richardson and Brian R. Flay (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2002[Aug], Vol 70[4], 976-985). On p. 979 of this article, there was an error in the formula presented in Footnote 1. This erratum provides the correct formula. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2002-17393-012.) The current study sought to identify classes of growth trajectories of adolescent alcohol use and to examine the predictors and outcomes associated with the classes. Alcohol use was assessed from Grades 7 to 12 in a school-based sample. Latent growth mixture modeling was used, and results indicated 5 discrete longitudinal drinking patterns. The 2 most common drinking patterns included occasional very light drinking from Grades 7 to 12 and moderate escalation in both quantity and frequency of alcohol use. One group drank infrequently but at high levels throughout the study period. Another group exhibited rapid escalation in both quantity and frequency. The final group started at high levels of frequency and quantity in Grade 7 and showed rapid de-escalation in frequency. Emotional distress and risk taking distinguished the classes, and all classes, particularly rapid escalators, showed elevated levels of alcohol-related problems relative to occasional very light drinkers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trait as Default: Extraversion, Subjective Well-Being, and the Distinction Between Neutral and Positive Events.

On the basis of prior work suggesting that trait self-knowledge serves a "fill-in" function when event-specific information is missing (M. D. Robinson & G. L. Clore, 2002a), we sought to demonstrate that extraversion is a more reliable predictor of subjective well-being (SWB) judgments among certain individuals than among others. Four studies involving a total of 260 participants revealed that the extraversion-SWB relation was relatively weaker among those quick to appreciate the distinction between neutral and positive events in a choice reaction-time task; by contrast, it was stronger among those slow to recognize this distinction. The findings suggest that extraversion scales measure (among other things) beliefs about SWB that differentially contribute to judgments among those less capable of making evaluative distinctions at encoding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perfectionism dimensions, perfectionistic attitudes, dependent attitudes, and depression in psychiatric patients and university students.

P. L. Hewitt and G. L. Flett's (1991b) model of perfectionism dimensions (i.e., self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism) was compared with A. T. Beck's model (G. P. Brown & A.T. Beck, 2002) of dysfunctional attitudes (i.e., perfectionistic attitudes [PA] and dependent attitudes [DA]) in predicting depression in 70 psychiatric patients and 280 university students. Socially prescribed perfectionism uniquely predicted both PA and DA. Dysfunctional attitudes failed to consistently predict additional variance in depression beyond perfectionism dimensions (and vice versa). Evidence for Hewitt and Flett's specific vulnerability hypothesis and Beck's specific cognitive vulnerability hypothesis was equivocal. Beck's conceptualization of perfectionism as a unitary cognitive style obscures important information by overlooking the distinction between the self-related and socially based features of perfectionism. Hewitt and Flett's conceptualization of perfectionism as 3 distinct personality traits allows for precise conclusions by recognizing the differential contribution of the self-related and socially based features of perfectionism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Assimilation Theory and the Ponzo Illusion: Quantitative Predictions": Erratum.

Reports an error in "Assimilation theory and the Ponzo illusion: Quantitative predictions" by A. W. Pressey, N. Butchard and L. Scrivner (Canadian Journal of Psychology Revue Canadienne de Psychologie, 1971[Dec], Vol 25[6], 486-497). A corrected formula is provided. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1972-10045-001.) Predicted that the ponzo illusion would increase, and then decrease as angle of the oblique arms increased, on the basis of assimilation theory. A reversed illusion was predicted when the angle was very obtuse. 4 orientations of the ponzo illusion were employed. In these the apex pointed to the top, bottom, left, and right. A different orientation was used on each of 4 sessions separated by a minimum of 1 day. The order was randomized for each of 9 men and 6 women ss. Both predictions were verified. Data suggest a change in the attentive field postulate of assimilation theory, and a general formula was derived to obtain a numerical estimate of illusion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Book review: Media violence and its effects on aggression: Assessing the scientific evidence.

Review of book: Media violence and its effects on aggression: Assessing the scientific evidence, by Jonathan L. Freedman. Toronto: ON: University of Toronto Press, 2002, 227 pp. Hardcover. ISBN 0-8020-3553-1. Reviewed by Claire Crooks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validity and Meaning: Comment.

Comments on an article by Robert L. Ebel (see record 1962-05654-001). This article discusses basic problems in psychological testing and measurement, and as such the author touches upon basic problems of scientific psychology as well. According to the commentator the problems the author raises are very well taken. For a while it seems that he will come up with what points to a solution but some reflection shows that although he approached the "truth," he failed to reach it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Men, family-role quality, job-role quality, and physical health": Correction to Barnett and Marshall.

Reports an error in "Men, family-role quality, job-role quality, and physical health" by Rosalind C. Barnett and Nancy L. Marshall (Health Psychology, 1993[Jan], Vol 12[1], 48-55). In this article the title for Table 1 (p. 50) should be "Correlations Between Rewards and Concerns in the Job, Marital, and Parent Roles." Also, the last item in the first column of the table should read "6. Parent-role concerns." (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1993-21527-001.) The relationship between the quality of family roles, as spouse and as parent, and the quality of men's job role, on the one hand, and their reports of physical symptoms, on the other, was examined in men drawn from a random sample of 300 dual-earner couples. The main effect of marital-role quality (i.e., rewards and concerns) on physical health was estimated, as was the Marital-Role Quality × Job-Role Quality interaction effect. With respect to the present role, the effect of both parent-role occupancy and parent-role quality was estimated. After controlling for job-role quality, it was found that parent-role occupancy had neither main nor interactive effects. However, among the men who occupied all 3 roles (n = 180), only parent-role concerns were a significant predictor of physical health reports. Thus, concerns in the parent role are a major unmeasured source of variance in studies of the stress-illness relationship in men. [An erratum concerning this article appears in Health Psychology, 1993(Mar), Vol 12(2), 92. Table 1 is corrected.] (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Positive psychology: An introduction": Reply.

Responds to comments by A. C. Bohart and T Greening, S. B. Shapiro, G. Bacigalupe, R. Walsh, W. C. Compton, C. L. McLafferty and J. D. Kirylo, N. Abi-Hashem, A. C. Catania, G. K. Lampropoulos, and T. M. Kelley (see records 2002-15384-010, 2002-15384-011, 2002-15384-012, 2002-15384-013, 2002-15384-014, 2002-15384-015, 2002-15384-016, 2002-15384-017, 2002-15384-018, and 2002-15384-019, respectively) on the January 2000, Vol 55(1) special issue of the American Psychologist dedicated to positive psychology. M. E. P. Seligman and M. Csikszentmihalyi expand on some of the critical themes discussed in the commentaries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Attribution and expressed emotion in the relatives of patients with schizophrenia": Correction to Brewin, MacCarthy, Duda, and Vaughn (1991).

Reports an error in "Attribution and expressed emotion in the relatives of patients with schizophrenia" by Chris R. Brewin, Brigid MacCarthy, Karin Duda and Christine E. Vaughn (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1991[Nov], Vol 100[4], 546-554). An incorrect sentence was published. The sentence that ends the fourth paragraph on p. 547 ought to read: A more recent onset of illness would be expected to produce more unstable attributions, and more disturbed behavior (particularly involving violence toward the relative) would be expected to produce attributions that were more internal and personal to the patient but more external and uncontrollable as regards the relative. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1992-12907-001.) Indexes of expressed emotion (EE) in 58 relatives of patients with schizophrenia were related to those relatives' spontaneously expressed causal beliefs about the illness and about related symptoms and behaviors. Relatives made attributions predominantly to factors external, universal, and uncontrollable from their own perspective, and to factors internal, universal, and uncontrollable from the patient's perspective. Low-EE relatives were similar in their attributions to emotionally overinvolved relatives. Compared with these 2 groups, critical and/or hostile relatives made more attributions to factors personal to and controllable by the patient. Subsequent analyses suggested that hostile relatives were further characterized by making more attributions to factors internal to the patient and by making attributions with fewer causal elements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological Bulletin: Correction to Logan et al. (2002).

Reports errors in the original article by T. K. Logan et al (Psychological Bulletin, 2002, Vol 128[6], 851-885). Errors in Table 1 (p. 862), Table 2 (p. 863), and Table 4 (p. 865) are noted and corrected. Errors in the text on page 869 and page 871 also are corrected. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record record 2002-18663-001). This article is focused on examining social and contextual factors related to HIV-risk behavior for women. Specifically, this article has three main purposes: to review the literature on selected social and contextual factors that contribute to the risk for the heterosexual transmission of HIV and AIDS, to review and conduct a meta-analysis of HIV-prevention interventions targeting adult heterosexual populations, and to suggest future directions for HIV-prevention intervention research and practice. Results suggest that the HIV-prevention interventions reviewed for this article had little impact on sexual risk behavior, that social and contextual factors are often minimally addressed, and that there was a large gap between research and practice of HIV-prevention intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The practice of forensic psychology: A look toward the future in light of the past": Comment on Otto and Heilbrun (2002).

Comments on the article by R. K. Otto and K. Heilbrun (see record 2002-10575-001) discussing the state of the field of forensic psychology. The current author objects to what he perceives as Otto and Heilbrun's attempt to discredit all but closely protected American Psychological Association (APA) affiliated organizations, and their subsequent biased comments based on poor research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Factors in the Self-Deception Questionnaire: Association with depression": Correction to Roth and Ingram.

Reports an error in "Factors in the Self-Deception Questionnaire: Associations with depression" by David L. Roth and Rick E. Ingram (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1985[Jan], Vol 48[1], 243-251). Errors appear in Table 2 on page 247. The factor loading for Item 7 (.65) is listed under Factor 2 and it should be under Factor 4. The factor loading for Item 18 (.54) is listed under Factor 2 and it should be under Factor 3. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1985-17551-001.) Administered the Self-Deception Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to 60 male and 52 female undergraduates and replicated the negative correlation found by H. A. Sackeim and R. C. Gur (1978; see also PA, Vol 62:6213). The SDQ was factor analyzed to determine which factors might account for this correlation with depression. Analysis showed that the 3 largest factors, identified by content themes of relationship with parents, emotionality, and denial of tabooed activities, correlated reliably with the BDI. Acceptable conceptualizations of distortion and reality and data that empirically relate those conceptualizations to depression and other forms of psychopathology are needed to clarify any associations that exist between cognitive accuracy and emotional functioning. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)