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Perceptions Of Couple Functioning Among Female Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse, David Dilillo, Patricia J. Long Nov 1999

Perceptions Of Couple Functioning Among Female Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse, David Dilillo, Patricia J. Long

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A sample of 51 college women retrospectively reporting a history of childhood sexual abuse and 91 women failing to report such a history was examined in order to investigate the relationship between victimization history and survivors' self-reports of functioning in adult intimate relationships. Specifically, relationship satisfaction, communication, and trust were examined in heterosexual relationships of at least six months' duration. As hypothesized, even when demographic differences between groups were controlled, survivors reported significantly less relationship satisfaction, poorer communication, and lower levels of trust in their partners than did women with no history of sexual abuse. The implications of these results …


Why Are Girls Less Physically Aggressive Than Boys? Personality And Parenting Mediators Of Physical Aggression, Gustavo Carlo, Marcela Raffaelli, Deborah J. Laible, Kathryn A. Meyer Nov 1999

Why Are Girls Less Physically Aggressive Than Boys? Personality And Parenting Mediators Of Physical Aggression, Gustavo Carlo, Marcela Raffaelli, Deborah J. Laible, Kathryn A. Meyer

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The primary goal of the present analysis was to determine whether the commonly observed gender difference in physical aggression could be accounted for by gender differences in selected personality and social contextual factors. Eighty-nine adolescents (M age = 16.0; 52% female; 53% European-Americans, 38% Latinos) completed self-report measures, including sympathy (empathic concern and perspective taking) and parental involvement (support and monitoring). Mediation analyses revealed that relatively high levels of both empathic concern and parental monitoring accounted for relatively low levels of physical aggression. In addition, sympathy (for males) and parental involvement (males and females) were negatively related to physical aggression. …


Do Mothers And Teens Disagree About Sexual Communication? A Methodological Reappraisal, Marcela Raffaelli, Lori A. Smart, Sarah C. Van Horn, Angela D. Hohbein, Jennifer E. Kline, Wei-Lik Chan Nov 1999

Do Mothers And Teens Disagree About Sexual Communication? A Methodological Reappraisal, Marcela Raffaelli, Lori A. Smart, Sarah C. Van Horn, Angela D. Hohbein, Jennifer E. Kline, Wei-Lik Chan

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study investigated whether parent-teen disagreement in reports of sexual discussions is due to methodological factors. Forty-four mothers and their 12- to 15-yearold daughters (n = 18) and sons (n = 26) completed parallel questionnaires including measures of communication about 18 different sexual topics during the teen’s entire life and during the past year. Analyses examined whether congruence rates were infl uenced by the use of global as compared to specifi c items, assessment of conversations during the teen’s entire life as compared to the past year, and use of forced-choice as opposed to continuous-response categories. Taken as a whole, …


A Longitudinal Examination Of The Consequences Of Sexual Victimization For Rural Young Adult Women, Janine Zweig, Lisa J. Crockett, Aline Sayer, Judith Vicary Nov 1999

A Longitudinal Examination Of The Consequences Of Sexual Victimization For Rural Young Adult Women, Janine Zweig, Lisa J. Crockett, Aline Sayer, Judith Vicary

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This longitudinal study examined the consequences of sexual victimization in a sample of 237 young adult women from a rural community. Of the total sample, 71 (30%) reported experiencing some type of unwanted sex. Multiple regression was used to examine the effects on psychosocial adjustment of unwanted sex that occurred through nonviolent coercion and violent coercion, respectively, controlling for prior psychological adjustment. Results indicated that women who reported physically violent sexual coercion exhibited poorer psychological and social/relational adjustment than either nonvictimized women or women who had experienced nonviolent forms of sexual coercion. Additionally, nonviolent sexual coercion was associated with higher …


Consistency And Development Of Prosocial Dispositions: A Longitudinal Study, Nancy Eisenberg, Ivanna K. Guthrie, Bridget C. Murphy, Stephanie A. Shepard, Amanda Cumberland, Gustavo Carlo Oct 1999

Consistency And Development Of Prosocial Dispositions: A Longitudinal Study, Nancy Eisenberg, Ivanna K. Guthrie, Bridget C. Murphy, Stephanie A. Shepard, Amanda Cumberland, Gustavo Carlo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The issue of whether there is consistency in prosocial dispositions was examined with a longitudinal data set extending from ages 4 to 5 years into early adulthood (N = 32). Spontaneous prosocial behaviors observed in the preschool classroom predicted actual prosocial behavior, other- and self-reported prosocial behavior, self-reported sympathy, and perspective taking in childhood to early adulthood. Prosocial behaviors that were not expected to refl ect an other-orientation (i.e., low cost helping and compliant prosocial behavior) generally did not predict later prosocial behavior or sympathy. Sympathy appeared to partially mediate the relation of early spontaneous sharing to later prosocial dispositions. …


Facilitating And Disinhibiting Prosocial Behaviors: The Nonlinear Interaction Of Trait Perspective Taking And Trait Personal Distress On Volunteering, Gustavo Carlo, James B. Allen, Dion C. Buhman Oct 1999

Facilitating And Disinhibiting Prosocial Behaviors: The Nonlinear Interaction Of Trait Perspective Taking And Trait Personal Distress On Volunteering, Gustavo Carlo, James B. Allen, Dion C. Buhman

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Prior theorists and researchers have suggested that multiplicative models of prosocial behavior may account for weak and inconsistent relations between traits and prosocial behaviors. This study examined the multiplicative relations of trait personal distress, trait sympathy, and trait perspective taking on prosocial behaviors. Nonlinear, 2-way interactions were hypothesized, such that as trait personal distress decreased from moderate to low levels, and trait perspective taking or trait sympathy increased, volunteering would increase. One hundred and eighty-two undergraduate students completed a battery of trait measures that included trait perspective taking, trait sympathy, and trait personal distress. Approximately 6 weeks later, the students …


Taste Quality And Extinction Of A Conditioned Taste Aversion In Rats, Rick A. Bevins, Heather C. Jensen, Todd S. Hinze, Joyce Besheer Sep 1999

Taste Quality And Extinction Of A Conditioned Taste Aversion In Rats, Rick A. Bevins, Heather C. Jensen, Todd S. Hinze, Joyce Besheer

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Rats (Rattus norvegicus) that received a taste cue (saccharin, saline, quinine, or sucrose) paired with a lithium chloride (LiCl) injection displayed a robust decrease in consumption of that taste, relative to controls that had the taste unpaired with LiCl. Consumption of the paired taste increased with each nonreinforced presentation (i.e., extinction). After asymptotic extinction, rats that had had a 0.1% saccharin cue paired with LiCl consumed less of the saccharin solution than did controls. A similar data pattern was observed with a 10% sucrose solution. These results are consistent with the view that some aspect of the excitatory …


Double Discounting: The Effects Of Comparative Negligence On Mock Juror Decision Making, Douglas J. Zickafoosel, Brian H. Bornstein Aug 1999

Double Discounting: The Effects Of Comparative Negligence On Mock Juror Decision Making, Douglas J. Zickafoosel, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Two experiments were conducted to ascertain the effects of comparative negligence on damage awards. Participants awarded damages for a mock medical malpractice case in which the level of the plaintiff’s negligence was varied. Both experiments showed that damage awards were doubly discounted for partially negligent plaintiffs. Experiment 1 also found that the responses of college students did not differ from those of people who had been called for jury duty. Experiment 2 examined four components of the damage award and showed that the reduction due to the level of the plaintiff’s negligence occurred only in damages for bodily harm. Implications …


Treating People With Information: An Analysis And Review Of Approaches To Communicating Health Risk Information, Alex Rothman, Marc T. Kiviniemi May 1999

Treating People With Information: An Analysis And Review Of Approaches To Communicating Health Risk Information, Alex Rothman, Marc T. Kiviniemi

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The communication of risk information is a fundamental aspect of nearly all health promotion interventions. However, no consensus exists regarding the most effective way to provide people with risk information. We will review and evaluate the relative merits of two approaches to risk communication. One approach relies on the presentation of numerical information regarding the probability of a health problem occurring, whereas the other relies on the presentation of information about the antecedents and consequences of a health problem. Because people have considerable difficulty understanding and using quantitative information, the effectiveness of interventions that rely solely on numerical probability information …


Data-Based Clinical Decision Making In The Treatment Of An Adolescent With Severe Conduct Problems, Douglass W. Nangle, Rebecca E. Carr, David J. Hansen May 1999

Data-Based Clinical Decision Making In The Treatment Of An Adolescent With Severe Conduct Problems, Douglass W. Nangle, Rebecca E. Carr, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This case illustrates the contributions of continuous data monitoring to clinical decision making in the treatment of an adolescent with severe conduct problems. Treatment began with a comprehensive point system that required the continual monitoring of a range of target behaviors. Beginning each session with a review of graphs of the monitored behaviors helped keep the sessions focused and rewarded the client and his parents with visual feedback of their progress. A subjective rating system was also implemented in which the client’s parents quantified their evaluations of his overall behavior on a daily basis. This system enhanced the client’s parents’ …


Early Adolescence And Prosocial/Moral Behavior Ii: The Role Of Social And Contextual Influences, Gustavo Carlo, Richard A. Fabes, Deborah Laible, Kristina Kupanoff May 1999

Early Adolescence And Prosocial/Moral Behavior Ii: The Role Of Social And Contextual Influences, Gustavo Carlo, Richard A. Fabes, Deborah Laible, Kristina Kupanoff

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This is the second installment of the special issue on prosocial and moral development in early adolescence. This issue focuses on social and contextual processes in young adolescents’ prosocial and moral behaviors. In this introductory article, a brief review of the research on parents or family, peers, school environment, culture, and nationality as correlates of prosocial and moral development was presented. The research indicates that the social context plays an important role in prosocial and moral development. However, research on the social and contextual correlates of prosocial and moral development in early adolescence is at an embryonic stage. Research is …


Child Physical Abuse And Neglect, Jody E. Warner-Rogers, David J. Hansen, Debra B. Hecht Apr 1999

Child Physical Abuse And Neglect, Jody E. Warner-Rogers, David J. Hansen, Debra B. Hecht

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Children ideally develop and learn about their world from the safe and stimulating environment of their home. Therefore, it is quite disturbing when violence occurs within the supposedly protective domains of the home and the parent-child relationship, although such acts have been committed throughout history (Zigler & Hall, 1989). Even though acts of child maltreatment have a long history, the concept that society should be responsible for the protection of children, including identification, reporting, and treatment of both the victims and perpetrators of maltreatment, is a relatively recent development.

This chapter addresses the physical abuse and neglect of children by …


Adolescent Victims And Intergenerational Issues In Sexual Abuse, Debra B. Hecht, David J. Hansen Apr 1999

Adolescent Victims And Intergenerational Issues In Sexual Abuse, Debra B. Hecht, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The transitional period of adolescence is characterized by a number of changes and challenges that occur both within and outside the individual. Many developmental events occur during adolescence that have a significant impact on an adolescent’s functioning, including a variety of physical, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social changes. In addition, adolescents may experience a variety of other important events, such as peer group changes, school moves, changes in family structure or functioning, and alterations in societal and community expectations (Hansen, Giacoletti, & Nangle, 1995; Peterson & Hamburg, 1986). Unfortunately, many adolescents are further challenged by being a victim of sexual …


Homeless And Working Street Youth In Latin America: A Developmental Review, Marcela Raffaelli Apr 1999

Homeless And Working Street Youth In Latin America: A Developmental Review, Marcela Raffaelli

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In most Latin American countries, a substantial proportion of children grow up in circumstances of extreme deprivation and early independence. These include "street youth", youngsters who work and sometimes live on city streets in developing countries. Most street youth research has been conducted from an applied perspective and emphasizes service and policy needs. Little developmental research has been conducted with street youth, and the long-term impact of street life is largely unknown. This review synthesizes empirical findings on the developmentally-relevant experiences of sub-groups of street youth in Latin America. It includes research in four areas: social networks, daily survival, health …


Rationality In Medical Treatment Decisions: Is There A Sunk-Cost Effect?, Brian H. Bornstein, Christine Emler, Gretchen B. Chapman Mar 1999

Rationality In Medical Treatment Decisions: Is There A Sunk-Cost Effect?, Brian H. Bornstein, Christine Emler, Gretchen B. Chapman

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: To assess residents’ propensity to display the sunk-cost effect, an irrational decision-making bias, in medical treatment decisions; and to compare residents’ and undergraduates’ susceptibility to the bias in non-medical, everyday behaviors.
Design: Cross-sectional, in-person survey.
Setting: Louisiana State University, two locations: Medical Center-Baton Rouge and Main Campus–Psychology Department.
Participants: Internal medicine and family practice residents (N = 36, Mdn age = 27) and college undergraduates (N = 40, Mdn age = 20).
Measurements and main results: Residents evaluated medical and non-medical situations that varied the amount of previous investment and whether the present decision maker was the …


Fear And Exhilaration In Response To Risk: An Extension Of A Model Of Injury Risk In A Real-World Context, Scott Cook, Lizette Peterson, David Dilillo Mar 1999

Fear And Exhilaration In Response To Risk: An Extension Of A Model Of Injury Risk In A Real-World Context, Scott Cook, Lizette Peterson, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This paper explored a model that predicted children’s actual injury risk behavior from their current typical reported reactions of excitement versus fear in risky play situations. Fourth-grade children were asked to report on their current typical levels of fear and excitement in response to common play situations, including those involving play in the water. A week or more later, the same children were observed during their turn at free play on the diving board of a local swimming pool. Reporting that current responses to risky play situations resulted in fear was related to lower rates of actual risky behavior and …


Jurors’ Perception Of Violence: A Framework For Inquiry, Brian H. Bornstein, Robert J. Nemeth Feb 1999

Jurors’ Perception Of Violence: A Framework For Inquiry, Brian H. Bornstein, Robert J. Nemeth

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The impact that the perceived violence of a crime has on jury decision making has received much controversy lately. Violence may affect juries by how it is presented, as in the case of graphic evidence; its evidentiary purpose, as in establishing a history of violence in domestic abuse cases; and in sentencing, when the question of the heinousness of the crime is raised. Many judicial experts argue that evidence of violence may prejudice juries’ verdicts. There is also concern within the legal community that what constitutes a heinous crime cannot be objectively determined. Psychological research has only just begun to …


Early Adolescence And Prosocial/Moral Behavior I: The Role Of Individual Processes, Richard A. Fabes, Gustavo Carlo, Kristina Kupanoff, Deborah Laible Feb 1999

Early Adolescence And Prosocial/Moral Behavior I: The Role Of Individual Processes, Richard A. Fabes, Gustavo Carlo, Kristina Kupanoff, Deborah Laible

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In this introductory article, the purpose of the special issue on prosocial and moral development during early adolescence is presented. This issue is the first of two special issues and focuses on the role that individual processes play in influencing young adolescents’ prosocial and moral development. Presented also is a new meta-analysis of data on age and gender differences in prosocial behavior with particular focus on early adolescence. It was found that prosocial behavior during adolescence rarely has been studied, but that there are general increases in prosocial behavior during this time when compared with early age periods. Moreover, gender …


Child Physical Abuse, David J. Hansen, Georganna Sedlar, Jody E. Warner-Rogers Jan 1999

Child Physical Abuse, David J. Hansen, Georganna Sedlar, Jody E. Warner-Rogers

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Widespread attention to the problem of child physical abuse has increased dramatically in recent decades. Extensive research evidence has described child physical abuse as a complex, multidimensional phenomenon that is best assessed by procedures using multiple modalities (e.g., interview, self-report, direct observation) that address multiple content areas. Comprehensive assessment is essential for identifying risk and occurrence of abuse, guiding the focus or direction of treatment, as well as monitoring treatment efficacy and outcome, all of which may be disseminated to interested parties as appropriate (e.g., CPS, judicial system, school, other treatment providers). Increasingly specific and relevant procedures have become available …


The Ecological Validity Of Jury Simulations: Is The Jury Still Out?, Brian H. Bornstein Jan 1999

The Ecological Validity Of Jury Simulations: Is The Jury Still Out?, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Despite the need to assess the ecological validity of jury simulation research before generalizing from simulations to the behavior of real jurors, surprisingly little jury research has directly addressed issues of validity. The present paper reviews the extant research on two aspects of the validity question—specifically, research that has compared different samples of mock jurors, and research that has manipulated the medium of trial presentation. In addition, jury simulation research published in the first 20 years of Law and Human Behavior is analyzed with respect to these variables. The majority of simulations used student-jurors and presented the trial in written …


Locomotion And Conditioned Place Preference Produced By Acute Intravenous Amphetamine: Role Of Dopamine Receptors And Individual Differences In Amphetamine Self-Administration, M. T. Bardo, J. M. Valone, Rick A. Bevins Jan 1999

Locomotion And Conditioned Place Preference Produced By Acute Intravenous Amphetamine: Role Of Dopamine Receptors And Individual Differences In Amphetamine Self-Administration, M. T. Bardo, J. M. Valone, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although previous studies have shown that dopamine (DA) antagonists block amphetamine reward, these studies have utilized animal models that involve repeated exposures to amphetamine. The present investigation examined the effect of DA antagonists on single-trial conditioned place preference (CPP) produced by acute intravenous (IV) amphetamine in rats. In the first experiment, rats were prepared with a jugular catheter and then received an acute IV injection of amphetamine (0.1–3 mg/kg) paired with one compartment of a CPP apparatus. Relative to sham controls (no IV catheter), amphetamine produced a dose-dependent increase in locomotor activity and CPP. Two further experiments demonstrated that both …


“I Know I Know It, I Know I Saw It” : The Stability Of The Confidence–Accuracy Relationship Across Domains, Brian H. Bornstein, Douglas J. Zickafoose Jan 1999

“I Know I Know It, I Know I Saw It” : The Stability Of The Confidence–Accuracy Relationship Across Domains, Brian H. Bornstein, Douglas J. Zickafoose

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

If the relationship between confidence and accuracy extended across domains, then one could assess performance in a known domain and use it to estimate performance in another domain. The stability of the confidence- accuracy relationship across the domains of eyewitness memory and general knowledge was investigated. The major findings of Experiment 1 were that in both domains participants were overconfident, yet more confident on correct than on incorrect responses, and that the degrees of overconfidence, calibration, and resolution in the 2 domains were positively correlated. Experiment 2 replicated these findings and showed that feedback about overconfidence reduced overall confidence levels …


Introduction, Dan Bernstein Jan 1999

Introduction, Dan Bernstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This volume is about motivation and gender. The chapters outline recent research and conceptual analysis related to four important motivational constructs-sexuality, emotion, competition, and aggression. In each case the author has examined the relation between the motivational construct and gender; the chapters describe those relations and analyze their origins and implications. There are two primary ideas that connect these accounts of gender and motivation: the authors generally report great diversity within gender groups in the degree to which these motivational characteristics are found, and they note that there is much to be considered in exactly how these motivational constructs are …


Gender Differences In The Relationships Among Ses, Family History Of Alcohol Disorders And Alcohol Dependence, Geoffrey M. Curran, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Elizabeth M. Hill, Sharon A. Mudd, Frederic C. Blow, Robert A. Zucker Jan 1999

Gender Differences In The Relationships Among Ses, Family History Of Alcohol Disorders And Alcohol Dependence, Geoffrey M. Curran, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Elizabeth M. Hill, Sharon A. Mudd, Frederic C. Blow, Robert A. Zucker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Potential moderator and mediator roles of several measures of socioeconomic status (SES) were investigated for the relationship between a family history of alcoholism( FH) and alcohol dependence symptoms in adulthood. Method: These analyses were performed with a sample of 931 men and 385 women participating in studies at the Alcohol Research Center, University of Michigan. Hierarchical multiple regression equations were used to assess whether SES mediated and moderated relationships between FH and alcohol dependence symptoms. Results: In general, measures of SES (education, occupation, personal and household income) were more important predictors of alcohol dependence symptoms among men, while FH …


An Investigation Of The Cognitive And Perceptual Dynamics Of A Color–Digit Synesthete, Eric C. Odgaard, John H. Flowers, H. Lynn Bradman Jan 1999

An Investigation Of The Cognitive And Perceptual Dynamics Of A Color–Digit Synesthete, Eric C. Odgaard, John H. Flowers, H. Lynn Bradman

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

L, a 47-year-old female of Choctaw descent, was first identified as a potential synesthete on the basis of self-report data regarding digit–color associations. Upon completion of the identification procedures typified in the literature, it was concluded that L met the classic memory-performance criteria used to identify synesthetic ability. A series of Stroop-type tasks were then performed to identify the dynamics of her synesthetic experiences. The results of these analyses provided three findings of note. First, the clear pattern of response-time differences between L and the control group suggests that tasks designed to produce involuntary divisions of attention can be an …


Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel (Sciuridae: Spermophilus Tridecemlineatus) Antipredator Vigilance: Monitoring The Sky For Aerial Predators, Cody L. Arenz, Daniel Leger Jan 1999

Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel (Sciuridae: Spermophilus Tridecemlineatus) Antipredator Vigilance: Monitoring The Sky For Aerial Predators, Cody L. Arenz, Daniel Leger

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Despite the success of antipredator vigilance research, the specific focus of this vigilance has been difficult to determine. We have previously shown that thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) increase their vigilance when their lateral field of view is obstructed. In this paper, we describe an experiment in which we attempt to determine the predator class for which this vigilance is directed. Using six differentially occluded Plexiglas foraging boxes with hinged “eaves,” we were able to obstruct the squirrels’ view of the sky while not obstructing their view of terrestrial threats. In general, across the box types, when their …


Potential Associations Among Genetic Markers In The Serotonergic System And The Antisocial Alcoholism Subtype, E. M. Hill, S. F. Stoltenberg, M. Burmeister, M. Closser, R. A. Zucker Jan 1999

Potential Associations Among Genetic Markers In The Serotonergic System And The Antisocial Alcoholism Subtype, E. M. Hill, S. F. Stoltenberg, M. Burmeister, M. Closser, R. A. Zucker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Alcoholism is transmitted in families. The complexity and heterogeneity of this disorder has made it difficult to identify specific genetic correlates. One design with the potential to do so is the family-based association study, in which the frequencies of genetic polymorphisms are compared between affected and nonaffected members. Reduced central serotonin neurotransmission is associated with features of an antisocial subtype of alcoholism, although a primary deficit has not been traced to a particular component. Genetic markers related to the serotonergic system have been identified, located, and cloned. If associations can be discovered, the development process for pharmacotherapy could be facilitated. …