A model of the precaution adoption process: Evidence from home radon testing.

Presents the precaution adoption process model, a stage theory consisting of 7 distinct states between ignorance and completed preventive action. The stages are "unaware of the issue," "aware of the issue but not personally engaged," "engaged and deciding what to do," "planning to act but not yet having acted," "having decided not to act," "acting," and "maintenance." The theory asserts that these stages represent qualitatively different patterns of behavior, beliefs, and experience and that the factors that produce transitions between stages vary depending on the specific transition being considered. Data from 7 studies of home radon testing with 3,329 Ss are examined to test some of the claims made by this model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back" (Answer to Paul Gedansky's Criticism).

The author regrets that her statement in "Psychology--a Profession or What," served to heighten Gedansky's anguish to the point where his anger was unleashed against the PhD in psychology. She is fully in sympathy with him, but finds it hard to agree that the MA is the optimum educational requirement for clinical psychology, because "the berated MA technicians have been quietly giving the bulk of clinical services in the hospitals and clinics of the United States for a good many years." Also it does not follow that hospitals and clinics must continue to use the MA in psychology rather than the PhD just because they have done so in the past. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The experience of regret: What, when, and why.

This article reviews evidence indicating that there is a temporal pattern to the experience of regret. Actions, or errors of commission, generate more regret in the short term; but inactions, or errors of omission, produce more regret in the long run. The authors contend that this temporal pattern is multiply determined, and present a framework to organize the divergent causal mechanisms that are responsible for it. In particular, this article documents the importance of psychological processes that (a) decrease the pain of regrettable action over time, (b) bolster the pain of regrettable inaction over time, and (c) differentially affect the cognitive availability of these two types of regrets. Both the functional and cultural origins of how people think about regret are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Abusive supervision and family undermining as displaced aggression.

This study focuses on factors that contribute to abusive supervision, one form of nonphysical aggression, and the results of such abuse on subordinates and their family members. Using a "kick the dog" metaphor (As Marcus-Newhall, Pedersen, Carlson, and Miller (2000) state, this is a "commonly used anecdote to illustrate displaced aggression. . .a man is berated by his boss but does not retaliate because he fears losing his job. Hours later, when he arrives home to the greeting barks of his dog he responds by kicking it," p. 670), the authors investigated whether abusive supervision may be the result of a supervisor's displeasure with his or her organization. Using a sample of 210 supervisors, their subordinates, and the subordinates' family members or partners, the authors hypothesized that supervisors' reports of psychological contract violations, moderated by hostile attribution bias, would be associated with subordinates' perceptions of abusive supervision. In turn, the authors hypothesized that abused subordinates' family members would report sustained negative affect and negative evaluations directed toward them in the home. The hypotheses were supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evolution and psychology.

Comments on the article by D. M. Buss et al (see record 1998-01669-001). The present author states his preference for the term previously used to cover the topic, "preadaptation," but concedes that the term "exaptation" and the exegesis on its utility presented by Buss et al are clearly sensible and understandable. The commenter states his purpose in writing as mainly being on the importance of evolutionary theory for psychology, on the evidence for various aspects of the theory as presented in publications for psychologists, and on how these affect the way the publications have to be documented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Transcending and broadening Leonard's (1999) "Becoming a consultant: The real stories".

This article, stimulated by H. Skipton Leonard's (1999) "Becoming a Consultant: The Real Stories," extends Leonard's coverage of what consultants do by depicting the roles of consultants beyond the clinician, encompassing industrial organizational consultants, consumer psychologists, human factors specialists, and social psychological consultants. The activities of part-time consultants, those engaged in the public sector and those who offer consultant services pro bono are also covered, all of which is intended to broaden and deepen Leonard's useful but somewhat limited presentation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Counterfactual and Semifactual Conditionals Prime Alternative Possibilities.

The authors examined in 3 experiments the comprehension of counterfactuals, such as "If it had rained, the plants would have bloomed," and semifactuals, such as "Even if it had rained, the plants would have bloomed," compared with indicative conditionals, "If it rained, the plants bloomed." The first experiment showed that people read the negative conjunction, "not p and not q" faster when it was primed by a counterfactual than when it was primed by an indicative conditional. They read the affirmative conjunction, "p and q" equally quickly when it was primed by either conditional. The 2nd experiment showed that people read the negated-antecedent conjunction, "not p and q" faster when it was primed by a semifactual conditional. The 3rd experiment corroborated these results in a direct comparison of counterfactuals and semifactuals. The authors discuss the implications of the results for the mental representations of different conditionals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Pseudofolliculitis barbae, commonly referred to as "razor bumps" or "ingrown hairs," is a papular and pustular, foreign body inflammatory reaction that can affect any individual who has curly hair and who shaves. This condition is a particular nuisance to African-Americans. This report will discuss the causes of pseudofolliculitis barbae and present a systematic approach to treatment.     

Manpower trends in three mental health professions.

"It is our purpose… to examine manpower trends in psychiatry, psychology, and social work." Two major problems relating to higher education are: (1) That many bright young people do not receive the training for which they are intellectually competent, and (2) That because of heightened birth rate beginning in the 1940's, a substantial rise in college enrollments can be expected within the next decade. The demand for trained personnel in the field of mental health is considered. Separate sections titled "Psychiatrists," "Psychologists," and "Social Workers" discuss the supply of and need for professional workers within each field. 50-item bibliography. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between displaying and perceiving nonverbal cues of affect: A meta-analysis to solve an old mystery.

The authors address the decades-old mystery of the association between individual differences in the expression and perception of nonverbal cues of affect. Prior theories predicted positive, negative, and zero correlations in performance—given empirical results ranging from r = ?.80 to r = +.64. A meta-analysis of 40 effects showed a positive correlation for nonverbal behaviors elicited as intentional communication displays but zero for spontaneous, naturalistic, or a combination of display types. There was greater variation in the results of studies having round robin designs and analyzed with statistics that do not account for the interdependence of data. The authors discuss implications for theorists to distinguish emotional skills in terms of what people are capable of doing versus what people actually do. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Common dances, uncommon therapies: Response to Ryder.

Comments on the article by Robert Ryder (see record 1989-01372-001). In an article titled "The Common Dance," Ryder offers two fundamental truths about the nature of all human relationships. He also provides an epistemological position that limits the validity (i.e., universality) of these claims. It is the intention of this response to comment both on the reality/truth (i.e., ontological) claims themselves and on the epistemological (i.e., limits of knowledge) framework in which they are propounded. Ryder evidently adopts the "antirealist" or "subjective" epistemology fashionable in many disciplines, including the family systems movement. Having adopted this epistemology, Ryder goes on to assert his two truths about human relationships-truths which, he cautiously argues, are to be taken only as relative to his stand, that is, relative to his definition of the term relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Instructing jurors on general damages in personal injury cases: Problems and possibilities.

The authors consider instructions that courts do or could give to jurors to guide them in making awards for general damages in civil litigation. The authors review the nature and content of current instructions about the factors that should (or should not) affect jurors' awards, as well as the limited body of empirical research on the impact of these instructions. The most noteworthy feature of current instructions regarding damages is the lack of guidance they provide. The consequence appears to be awards that have considerable variability and that are influenced by improper considerations. The authors also discuss research on the effectiveness of alternative forms of jury instructions and trial procedures in preventing or reducing these problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Has Dynamic Testing Lived Up to Its Potential? A Review of Sternberg and Grigorenko's Dynamic Testing.

Reviews the book "Dynamic Testing: The Nature and Measurement of Learning Potential," by R. J. Sternberg and E. L. Grigorenko (see record 2002-01422-000). Unlike "static" tests, dynamic tests emphasize learning potential rather than past learning accomplishments. The book opens with a theoretical framework of abilities as forms of development expertise. It continues with an introduction to dynamic testing and then a capsule history of dynamic testing. The book also reviews other diverse approaches to dynamic testing. The authors present their own three-pronged approach to dynamic testing along with two case studies from their own research in which dynamic testing was utilized. The book is valuable for school psychologists interested in understanding more about dynamic testing of abilities and the progress in the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social science research in law: A new paradigm.

The law is hampered in using social science research by the obsolete notion that research used to change a legal rule is "legislative fact" and research in which only the parties to a case have an interest is "adjudicative fact." In important ways, however, social research is more akin to law itself than to "fact." We suggest a paradigm in which law-changing research is "social authority," case-specific research is "social fact," and a newer hybrid combination of these two is "social framework." In each of these areas, we propose that judges treat aspects of empirical studies much as they treat legal precedents under the common law. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guided Jury Discretion in Capital Murder Cases: The Role of Declarative and Procedural Knowledge.

This article analyzes whether state-approved jury instructions adequately guide jury discretion in the penalty phase of first-degree murder trials. It examines Eighth Amendment jurisprudence regarding guided jury discretion, emphasizing the use of "empirical factors" to examine the quality of state-approved instructions. Psychological research and testimony on the topic of the comprehensibility of jury logical instructions are reviewed. Data from a recently completed simulation with 80 deliberating juries showed that current instructions do not adequately convey the concepts and processes essential to guiding penalty phase judgments. An additional simulation with 20 deliberating juries demonstrated that deliberation alone does not correct for jurors' errors in comprehension. The article concludes with recommendations for policy and future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The sizes of peptides generated from protein by mammalian 26 and 20 S proteasomes. Implications for understanding the degradative mechanism and antigen presentation

Knowledge about the sizes of peptides generated by proteasomes during protein degradation is essential to fully understand their degradative mechanisms and the subsequent steps in protein turnover and generation of major histocompatibility complex class I antigenic peptides. We demonstrate here that 26 S and activated 20 S proteasomes from rabbit muscle degrade denatured, nonubiquitinated proteins in a highly processive fashion but generate different patterns of peptides (despite their containing identical proteolytic sites). With both enzymes, products range in length from 3 to 22 residues, and their abundance decreases with increasing length according to a log-normal distribution. Less than 15% of the products are the length of class I presented peptides (8 or 9 residues), and two-thirds are too short to function in antigen presentation. Surprisingly, these mammalian proteasomes, which contain two "chymotryptic," two "tryptic," and two "post-acidic" active sites, generate peptides with a similar size distribution as do archaeal 20 S proteasomes, which have 14 identical sites. Furthermore, inactivation of the "tryptic" sites altered the peptides produced without significantly affecting their size distribution. Therefore, this distribution is not determined by the number, specificity, or arrangement of the active sites (as proposed by the "molecular ruler" model); instead, we propose that proteolysis continues until products are small enough to diffuse out of the proteasomes.     

The health of our children continues to improve--but... (a litany of change--Part III)

Interarch occlusal relationships are defined by temporomandibular joint (TMJ) position. Determination of the most physiologic joint position is a logical prerequisite for occlusal analysis. Existing classification systems for occlusion do not consider TMJ position or condition when relating the mandibular arch to the maxillary arch or the range of adaptive changes that can affect the position of the condyles or influence long-term occlusal stability. If the relationship between occlusion and TMJ position is as important as many clinicians believe, condylar position must be defined precisely as an essential control in any clinical study that purports to evaluate the relationship between occlusion and any masticatory system disorder to include temporomandibular disorders. This article presents a new classification system that defines the relationship between maximal intercuspation and the position and condition of the TMJs. The classification uses guidelines that are specific enough to be consistent and verifiably reproducible. A recently introduced term, "adapted centric posture," is used in this classification to distinguish deformed TMJs that have remodeled or adapted to a conformation that can comfortably accept maximal loading. This classification is necessary because deformed but adapted joints may within certain conditions function with the same degree of comfort as intact, properly aligned condyle disk assemblies in centric relation.     

Consequential Conditionals: Invited and Suppressed Inferences From Valued Outcomes.

Consequential conditionals are defined as "if P then Q" statements, where P is an action, and Q a predicted outcome of this action, which is either desirable or undesirable to the agent. Experiment 1 shows that desirable (viz. undesirable) outcomes invite an inference to the truth (viz. falsity) of their antecedent. Experiment 2 shows that the more extreme the outcome is, the stronger the invited inference is. Experiment 3 shows that modus ponens from premises "If A then C, A" can be suppressed with the introduction of a consequential conditional, "If C then Q," where Q is an undesirable outcome. Experiment 4 shows that the more undesirable Q is, the larger the suppression is. The authors discuss how these results can enrich current approaches of conditional inference on the basis of mental models, complementary necessary conditions, and conditional probabilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A note on "tranquillizers and perceptual defensiveness."

Criticizes and evaluates a study by W. H. Coons and H. Annis (see record 1970-12759-001) indicating that tranquilizers (specifically chlorpromazine) "appear not to reduce the defensive tendencies of patients in the manner previously suggested by other authors." It is suggested that because of methodological problems, which led to "a confounding of perceptual and response effects," data from this study do not necessarily lead to the conclusions reached. It is also noted that the method of analysis used is not entirely appropriate for testing the main hypothesis concerning the interaction of drug conditions and testing sessions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The sunk cost and Concorde effects: Are humans less rational than lower animals?

The sunk cost effect is a maladaptive economic behavior that is manifested in a greater tendency to continue an endeavor once an investment in money, effort, or time has been made. The Concorde fallacy is another name for the sunk cost effect, except that the former term has been applied strictly to lower animals, whereas the latter has been applied solely to humans. The authors contend that there are no unambiguous instances of the Concorde fallacy in lower animals and also present evidence that young children, when placed in an economic situation akin to a sunk cost one, exhibit more normatively correct behavior than do adults. These findings pose an enigma: Why do adult humans commit an error contrary to the normative cost–benefit rules of choice, whereas children and phylogenetically humble organisms do not? The authors attempt to show that this paradoxical state of affairs is due to humans' overgeneralization of the "Don't waste" rule. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)