Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

What’S Water Got To Do With It? Place-Related Symbolic Meanings Alter Residents’ Perceived Effects Of Coastal Infrastructure, Bryce B. Dubois, Katherine Lacasse, Aaron J. Ley

Faculty Publications

The symbolic meanings residents associate with their local bodies of water and coastal infrastructure can shape their perceptions of the infrastructure’s effects. In this case, we conduct a survey (N = 168) to examine residents’ perceptions of visibly disruptive, yet environmentally

protective cooling towers attached to a long-standing coal-fired power plant on Mount Hope Bay. Residents’ symbolic meanings of the bay corresponded predominantly with aesthetic,

ecological, or recreational themes, whereas their symbolic meanings of the towers also focused on aesthetics as well as the towers’ function or uselessness. Although residents generally perceived the towers as having negative effects on …

The Earth Has Humans, So Why Don’T Our Climate Models?, Brian Beckage, Katherin Lacasse, Jonathan M. Winter, Louis J. Gross, Nina Fefferman, Forrest M. Hoffman, Sara S. Metcalf, Travis Franck, Eric Carr, Asim Zia, Ann Kinzig

Faculty Publications

While climate models have rapidly advanced in s 37 ophistication over recent decades, they lack dynamic representation of human behavior and social systems despite strong feedbacks between social processes and climate. The impacts of climate change alter perceptions of risk and emissions behavior that, in turn, influence the rate and magnitude of climate change. Addressing this deficiency in climate models requires a substantial interdisciplinary effort to couple models of climate and human behavior. We suggest a multi-model approach that considers both a range of theories and implementations of human behavior and social systems is required, similar to how a multi-model …

Conformity To Masculine Norms Predicts U.S. Men’S Decision-Making Regarding A New Male Contraceptive, Katherine Lacasse, Theresa E. Jackson

Faculty Publications

Health decision-making is often explained by affective and cognitive processes, but this processing is rarely explored in relation to gender norms. We investigated how conformity to specific masculine norms are linked to the affective and cognitive processes that lead to U.S. men’s decisions regarding a new male contraceptive. U.S. male college students (N = 151) completed an online survey. They read a description of a long-acting reversible contraceptive, then completed questionnaires measuring their affective and cognitive responses, their information-seeking and willingness-to-try the contraceptive, and their conformity to masculine norms. Participants reported less willingness-to-try the contraceptive when they endorsed masculine …

The Ethics Of Whistle Blowing, Frederic G. Reamer

Faculty Publications

We can begin with the good news: the vast majority of behavioral health professionals – including psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, addictions counselors, and psychiatric nurses – are ethical and avoid profound moral lapses. That said, the unfortunate reality is that some behavioral health professionals, a nontrivial minority, misbehave or otherwise violate widely accepted ethical standards.

Linking Models Of Human Behavior And Climate Alters Projected Climate Change, Brian Beckage, Louis J. Gross, Katherine Lacasse, Eric Carr, Sara S. Metcalf, Jonathan M. Winter, Peter D. Howe, Nina Fefferman, Travis Franck, Asim Zia, Ann Kinzig, Forrest M. Hoffman

Faculty Publications

Although not considered in climate models, perceived risk stemming from extreme climate events may induce behavioral changes that alter greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we link the CROADS climate model to a social model of behavioral change to examine how interactions between perceived risk and emissions behavior influence projected climate change. Our coupled climate and social model resulted in a global temperature change ranging from 3.4–6.2 °C by 2100 compared with 4.9 °C for the C-ROADS model alone, and led to behavioral uncertainty that was of a similar magnitude to physical uncertainty (2.8 °C versus 3.5 °C). Model components with the …

A Narrative On The Witch-Hunt Narrative: The Moral Dimensions, Frederic G. Reamer

Faculty Publications

Ross Cheit’s The Witch-Hunt Narrative raises a number of complex moral issues. Cheit’s principal purpose is to challenge the belief that our society has overreacted to claims about the sexual abuse of children. Both directly and indirectly, Cheit’s in-depth analysis broaches moral concerns pertaining to the integrity of child abuse allegations, investigations, civil litigation, and criminal prosecution, with an emphasis on the mixed motives of the parties involved in key cases. This article provides an overview of ethical questions pertaining to gathering information from very vulnerable individuals, informed consent, institutional review, protection of research participants, the use of deception and …

What Does It Mean To Be Well? Understanding The Acehnese Youth Refugees' Resettlement Experience, Fairuziana Humam, Traci L. Weinstein, Holly L. Angelique

Faculty Publications

This qualitative study describes the extent to which there is a perception of wellbeing among Acehnese refugees who arrived as adolescents to the United States and settled in the Mid - Atlantic States. Aceh is a province in Northwestern Indonesia consisting of approximately four million people. During 1990 to 2005, approximately 20,000 people left the province due to political conflict to seek asylum in Malaysia, their neighboring country, before resettling in a third country. The participants in this research study are Acehnese refugees that were resettled to the United States as adolescents during that peak migration phase. Results describe how …

Social Work Ethics In India: A Call For The Development Of Indigenized Ethical Standards, Frederic G. Reamer, Jayashree Nimmagadda

Faculty Publications

In recent years, various professional associations in social work and regulatory bodies worldwide have engaged in ambitious efforts to draft and implement comprehensive ethics guidelines, standards, and education. For a variety of complex reasons, the social work profession in India has lagged behind developments in many other nations. The purpose of this article is to assess the current status of social work ethics in India, review relevant developments throughout the world, and present a blueprint to guide the development of much-needed indigenous ethical standards and education in India.

Can't Hurt, Might Help: Examining The Spillover Effects From Purposefully Adopting A New Pro-Environmental Behavior, Katherine Lacasse

Faculty Publications

This field experiment investigated whether purposefully adopting a new pro-environmental behavior (e.g., unplugging appliances, reusing shopping bags) led to positive spillover by altering people’s subsequent pro-environmental behaviors and political attitudes. Participants (N = 125) recruited through community organizations were randomly assigned to either adopt a new pro-environmental behavior of their choice for three weeks, or were not invited to do so. Behavior adoption increased participants’ likelihood of contacting their Senator about climate change, but had little direct spillover effect on other individual pro-environmental behaviors, their likelihood of making household-wide changes, the political importance they placed on climate-related issues, or their …

The Importance Of Being Green: The Influence Of Green Behaviors On Americans' Political Attitudes Toward Climate Change., Katherine Lacasse

Faculty Publications

Two studies investigated whether performing green behaviors may influence people’s political attitudes regarding climate change. A survey study revealed that self-reported green behaviors indirectly predicted American participants’ political attitudes regarding climate change, and that this relationship was mediated by their green self-perceptions. This relationship was relatively stronger for conservatives than for liberals. An experimental study included two conditions: One which led people to perceive that they often performed green behaviors and another that led them to perceive that they failed to perform green behaviors. Political-orientation was found to moderate the effect of green behavior perceptions on ratings of the importance …

Going With Your Gut: How William James' Theory Of Emotions Brings Insights To Risk Perception And Decision Making Research, Katherine Lacasse

Faculty Publications

The basic premise of William James’ theory of emotions - that bodily changes lead to emotional feelings - ignited debate about the relative importance of bodily processes and cognitive appraisals in determining emotions. Similarly, theories of risk perception have been expanding to include emotional and physiological processes along with cognitive processes. Taking a closer look at Principles of Psychology, this article examines how James’ propositions support and extend current research risk perceptions and decision making. Specifically, James (1) described emotional feelings and their related cognitions in ways similar to current dual processing models; (2) defended the proposition that emotions and …

Evolving Ethical Standards In The Digital Age, Frederic G. Reamer

Faculty Publications

Ethical standards in social work have matured significantly since the formal inauguration of the profession in the late 19th century. This article traces the global evolution of ethical standards in social work, focusing especially on current challenges in the digital age. The author discusses changes over time in social workers’ understanding of ethical issues and development of conceptual frameworks and protocols for managing them. Social workers’ increasing use of digital technology poses novel and unprecedented ethical challenges pertaining to privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, professional boundaries, conflicts of interest, documentation, client abandonment, and professionalism, among others. The article outlines emerging ethical …

The Evolution Of Social Work Ethics: Bearing Witness, Frederic G. Reamer

Faculty Publications

The evolution of ethical standards in social work, and conceptual frameworks for examining ethical issues, is among the most compelling developments in the history of the profession. Since the formal inauguration of social work in the late nineteenth century, the profession has moved from relatively simplistic and moralistic perspectives to conceptually rich analyses of ethical issues and ethical guidelines. This article examines the evolution of social work ethics from the profession’s earliest days and speculates about future challenges and directions.

Bodily Influences On Emotional Feelings: Accumulating Evidence And Extensions Of William James’ Theory Of Emotion, Katherine Lacasse, James D. Laird

Faculty Publications

William James’ theory of emotion has been controversial since its inception, and a basic analysis of Cannon’s (1927) critique is provided. Research on the impact of facial expressions, expressive behaviors, and visceral responses on emotional feelings are each reviewed. A good deal of evidence supports James’ theory that these types of bodily feedback, along with perceptions of situational cues, are each important parts of emotional feelings. Extensions to James’ theory are also reviewed, including evidence of individual differences in the effect of bodily responses on emotional experience.

Addressing The "Go Green" Debate: Initiatives That Encourage Small Green Behaviors And Their Political Spillover Effects, Katherine Lacasse

Faculty Publications

While there are numerous supporters of initiatives that promote small green behaviors, there are also critics who debate the effectiveness of these actions in addressing global climate change. The critics claim that people often choose to perform easy green behaviors to rationalize their inaction in other ways, which is detrimental to garnering support for political action. The supporters emphasize the cumulative effects of small green behaviors, including the likelihood of these actions spilling over into further green behaviors as well as greater political concern about climate change. The relationship between green behaviors and political attitudes should be considered more closely, …

Distance And Online Social Work Education: Novel Ethical Challenges, Frederic G. Reamer

Faculty Publications

Digital technology has transformed social work education. Today’s students can take individual courses and earn an entire degree without ever meeting their faculty members in person. Technological innovations such as videoconferencing, live online chat, asynchronous podcasts, and webinars enable social work educators to reach students whose personal circumstances and geographical locations make it difficult for them to attend school in person. This paper highlights complex ethical issues associated with the proliferation of digital and online social work education. Key ethical issues concern student access; course and degree program quality and integrity; academic honesty and gatekeeping; and privacy and surveillance.

Social Work In A Digital Age: Ethical And Risk Management Challenges, Frederic G. Reamer

Faculty Publications

Digital, online, and other electronic technology has transformed the nature of social work practice. Contemporary social workers can provide services to clients by using online counseling, telephone counseling, video counseling, cybertherapy (avatar therapy), selfguided Web-based interventions, electronic social networks, e-mail, and text messages. The introduction of diverse digital, online, and other forms of electronic social services has created a wide range of complex ethical and related risk management issues. This article provides an overview of current digital, online, and electronic social work services; identifies compelling ethical issues related to practitioner competence, client privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, conflicts of interest, …

Educating Immigrant And Racial/Ethnic Minority Youth In Special Education Programs, Traci L. Weinstein

Faculty Publications

In the United States, our current system of public education is characterized by academic achievement as a function of race, ethnicity, primary language use, and socioeconomic status (Hilliard, 1992). Moreover, in our public school system, 1 in 3 of all students is of an immigrant or racial/ethnic minority background (Agbenyega & Jiggetts, 1999). These students are frequently overrepresented in substantially separate educational settings, especially in special education programs (e.g., Hoover & Patton, 2005). In fact, it has been estimated that up to 40% of all special education students are of a minority background (U.S. Department of Education, 2003). The Office …

The Effects Of Contact With Asians And Asian Americans On White American College Students: Attitudes, Awareness Of Racial Discrimination, And Psychological Adjustment, Khanh T. Dinh, Traci L. Weinstein, Melissa Nemon, Sara Rondeau

Faculty Publications

On the basis of acculturation theory, explicating mutual influences between different cultural or ethnic groups coming into contact, this study focused ‘‘on the other side of acculturation’’ theory by examining the effects of intercultural contact with Asians and Asian Americans on the psychosocial experiences of White American college students. Participants (N = 315), undergraduates attending a public university located within the state of Massachusetts, completed a survey that assessed demographic and personal characteristics, acculturation (extent of intercultural contact with Asian people and Asian cultures), attitudes towards Asians and Asian Americans, awareness of institutional discrimination and blatant racial issues, and psychological …

Acculturative And Psychosocial Predictors Of Academic-Related Outcomes Among Cambodian American High School Students., Khanh T. Dinh, Traci L. Weinstein, Su Yeong Kim, Ivy K. Ho

Faculty Publications

This study examined the acculturative and psychosocial predictors of academicrelated outcomes among Cambodian American high school students from an urban school district in the state of Massachusetts. Student participants (N = 163) completed an anonymous survey that assessed demographic characteristics, acculturative experiences, intergenerational conflict, depression, and academicrelated outcomes. The main results indicated that acculturative and psychosocial variables were significant predictors of academic-related outcomes. Specifically, students’ Cambodian cultural orientation was positively associated with their beliefs about the utility of education and sense of school membership, while students’ Anglo/White cultural orientation was positively associated with their grade point average, educational aspirations, and …

The Narration Of Collective Trauma, Kalina M. Brabeck, Ricardo Ansilie

Faculty Publications

The 1998 murder of African American James Byrd, Jr., in Jasper, Texas, activated narrative strategies within the community that sought to give coherence to, or otherwise appropriate and utilize this trauma for a variety of purposes. Via interviews with community civic and religious leaders, and analysis of their public statements to the media, this article uses psychoanalytic and anthropological frameworks to examine the psychological and structural needs to narrate trauma; struggles over whose narrative holds sway; the emerging "story" that Jasper presented to the world in an attempt to define itself and narrate what transpired and why; and implications for …

Psychoanalysis And The Problem Of Evil, Barbara A. Schapiro

Faculty Publications

Since "evil" has become a term much in vogue in our current political climate, it seems ever more important to explore its psychic meanings and origins. What, first of all, do analysts and therapists mean by the word "evil"? The grandiosity of the term, as well as its traditionally religious connotations, perhaps make it unsuited to the therapeutic context. As Ruth Stein (2002) has commented, "Evil' may sound too allegorical or too concrete, too essentialist or too objective for psychoanalytic ways of thinking that are oriented towards the study of individual subjectivity" (394).

Psychoanalysis And Romantic Idealization, Barbara A. Schapiro

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Iatrogenic Symptoms In Psychotherapy , Charles W. Boisvert, David Faust

Faculty Publications

Although the mental health professions are effective in ameliorating personal distress, treatment can sometimes have negative consequences. The authors explore causal mechanisms for iatrogenic symptoms in therapy by discussing the process by which clients may be socialized into therapy and the potential impact that psychiatric labels and language may have in influencing clients' self-perceptions. The authors review research that has examined possible negative effects of psychiatric labels and then examine other forms of language, categorization, and conceptualizations that may contribute to negative effects in therapy. Iatrogenic symptoms may originate through the overreliance on a belief system within which therapists interpret, …

Trading French And Postcolonial Feminisms, Zubeda Jalalzai

Faculty Publications

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, in articulating feminist and postcolonial politics, raises issues of importance for both first world and third world feminists as well as enacting some of the very dangers which accompany those tenuous relationships. Spivak's essays, "French Feminism in an International Frame" (1981) and "French Feminism Revisited: Ethics and Politics" (1992), provide a rich arena in which she presents powerful cautions regarding international solidarities and explores the complicated dynamics of ethical relationships on multiple levels, including that between mother and daughter, bourgeois postcolonial feminist and the woman of the "ground," as well as between metropolitan and postcolonial feminists.

Adolescence, Emily S. Adler, Roger D. Clark

Faculty Publications

Using Erikson's and Gilligan's theories of adolescent development, this paper presents a content analysis of the depiction of adolescent development in a sample of Newbery Medal winners and honor books. Some diversity was found among the major characters, but white males were overrepresented. Many of the characters underwent an identity crisis. Some passed through the identity versus role confusion stage; others, especially in the almost prototypical maleinitiation-rite stories, discovered ways to deal with nature (industry) which engendered a far clearer sense of self (identity). The major female characters experienced the two phases more or less simultaneously, but a similar fusion …

Student Personality Traits And Values Across Generations, Thomas J. Lavin, Richard W. Prull

Faculty Publications

To assess possible generational differences in student personailty traits and values, an analysis was conducted of four samples of college freshman who had completed the Omnibus Personality Inventory (OPI) at intervals spanning 1969 through 1987. A linear increase in impulsivity during that period was the strongest of the observed shifts.