Female masochism: Perspectives for social workers

Simplistic theories regarding the origin of female masochism fail to recognize its multidetermined nature. Object relations theory can combine with learning theory to elucidate the interpersonal quality of human behavior. In addition, social sciences concepts such as role and exchange theories may explain pressures on individuals and groups to behavior in culturally valued ways. Contradictions between popularly believed notions about femininity and the individual's life experiences create conflicts for females, resulting in lack of self-esteem, confusion, and self-defeating behavior. Masochism can be understood as a defensive maneuver to retain the good object and prevent abandonment.     

Emotions and leadership. Reasons and impact of emotions in organizational context

Emotions as reasons for dissatisfaction, decreasing job performance or physical and mental strain at work are becoming more and more important. Especially psycho-social interactions with conflicts between employees and managers, caused by leadership behavior, as a source of negative emotions are relevant in this context. Which relevance emotions can have in order to influence human behavior and in order to influence work climate will be demonstrated by two qualitative field surveys in the automotive and the energy sector. The study in the energy sector will explain which leadership behavior fosters an improved employee behavior concerning occupational health and safety. A second study in the automotive industry shows that leadership behavior which causes positive emotions is essential for successful teamwork.     

The Evolution of Male-Male Sexual Behavior in Humans

Abstract

This paper examines male-male sexual behavior from an evolutionary perspective. I begin with a discussion of the major difficulties associated with the scientific study of homosexuality and a clarification of some concepts in human sexuality and evolutionary psychology. Following is a presentation of several established evolutionary theories of homosexuality and a critique of their major assumptions. Based on common patterns of male-male sexual behavior in humans identified by anthropologists, I argue that the evolutionary origin of male-male sexual behavior is based on the same dominance-submission mechanisms that gave rise to male-female sexual behavior. Further, I argue that male-male sexual behavior evolved more fully in human males than in other primate males because male-male alliances played a greater role in human male reproductive success. Specifically, male-male sexual behavior is speculated to be an exaptation of the sociosexual behavior used by primates to establish, regulate, and maintain relationships. It is posited that same-sex sexual behavior in human males reinforced alliances that contributed directly to male survival and indirectly to male reproduction. This alliance theory of the evolution of male-male sexual behavior is compatible with broader current theory on human evolution. The same neurological mechanism theorized to be involved in male-female sexual attraction and behavior is purported to mediate male-male sexual attraction and behavior. Finally, I argue that exclusive same-sex attraction in human males is due to an interaction between genetic, cultural, developmental and psychological factors. doi:10.1300/J056v18n04_02     

A discipline in peril: Sociology’s future hinges on curing its biophobia

Several lines of evidence are reviewed regarding sociology’s decline as a college major and as a respected academic discipline in recent decades. The present article attributes most of the decline tobiophobia, i.e., the tendency to avoid considering biological causes of human behavior. Four explanations are offered for sociology’s biophobia: semantic factors, lack of training in biology, exclusive focus on humans, and moral/political factors. Ironically, a recent survey indicated that most sociologists are at least mildly receptive to the view that biological factors play some role in several important aspects of human behavior, including academic achievement, sexual orientation, serious adult criminality, and even gender differences in aggression. In addition, many sociologists have proposed biosocial explanations of human behavior, although often having to publish in non-sociology outlets. The article ends by illustrating how biological and social factors can be combined to help explain a well-established relationship between religiosity and criminality.     

The past is always present: Creative methods for capturing the life story

Since human behavior is so complex, efforts to change it require that therapists and patients draw upon as many sources of information as possible. Effective treatment necessarily involves taking a comprehensive account of patients' histories and their continually evolving life story so that dynamic connections between the past and present can be understood and thereby be reinforced or unlinked. This article discusses the salience of personal history and demonstrates its impact and benefit in therapy. It offers three creative methods with illustrative examples for unfolding and examining the life story.     

Social Support as a Potential Moderator of Adolescent Delinquent Behaviors

The issue of juvenile delinquency continues to concern both policy makers and parents. Engaging in negative behaviors or activities that are not socially acceptable can have serious implications for adolescents' physical, emotional, and social development. Therefore, it is important that human service practitioners working with adolescents understand those factors that influence their delinquent behavior in order to develop effective interventions. This paper reports the findings of a study of self-reported delinquent activity among a sample of 779 adolescents who attended middle schools in a large urban city in the southwest United States. The study examines the relationships between delinquent behavior, social support, and a variety of other psychosocial factors. The implications of those relationships for human service practice and research are discussed.     

Countermeasure drowsiness by design - using common behaviour

This study takes a starting point in what drivers do to avoid drowsiness while driving instead of starting with what researchers know is efficient (Take a short nap). It is concluded that research is missing when it comes to how efficient common behavior countermeasures are and that there is a mismatch between research and how people actually behave. A three stage approach which includes identification, information and countermeasure is suggested. Furthermore are a few ideas of what car manufacturers can do to support human behavior presented.     

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy,Functional Contextualism,and Clinical Social Work

The practice of clinical social work requires interventions that are consistent with social work values, applicable across a range of presenting problems, capable of being applied in multiple contexts, supported by extensive research, and consonant with social work’s person-in-environment perspective. This article discusses the fit between social work and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy that meets all of these criteria. ACT is based on a philosophy of science, functional contextualism, that focuses on the behavior of individuals within their historical and situational contexts. ACT draws on a comprehensive theory of language, relational frame theory (RFT), which accounts for the influence of culturally shaped language processes on learning and human behavior. ACT and RFT are supported by a growing body of research that supports ACT’s efficacy with a wide variety of problems and suggests that ACT works by its theorized mechanism of change. ACT can be delivered in an array of formats and is easily accessible for those seeking training, and ACT offers a nonstigmatizing, universalizing approach to alleviating suffering that positions social workers and clients as subject to the same, normally occurring processes of human behavior.     

Reconceptualizing Social Work Behaviors From a Human Rights Perspective

Although the human rights philosophy has relevance for many segments of the social work curriculum, the latest version of accreditation standards only includes a few behaviors specific to human rights. This deficit can be remedied by incorporating innovations found in the social work literature, which provides a wealth of material for reconceptualizing social work behaviors from a human rights perspective. This article summarizes these reconceptualizations and presents corresponding behaviors for courses addressing human behavior and the social environment, policy, practice, and research.     

Cognitive Variables

Abstract

The literature indicates systematic attempts have been made to combine the approach of cognitive therapy with behavior therapy. The following paper reflects that much research has been done in this area showing great promise. Certainly the cognitive variable is significant in the treatment of human behavior, yet it can not be considered in isolation of other dimensions of behavior. Significant contributions have been made in the treatment of depression, phobias, anxiety, and panic attacks. Treatment elements have been applied to a diverse range of conditions, yet practice research has not documented statistical evidence of the effectiveness of the results. Further study needs to isolate the aspect of treatment that is producing the outcome. Greater attention needs to be given to the generalization and maintenance of treatment. Certainly the inclusion of cognitive variables in the assessment of human behavior enables comprehensive treatment of the individual. The authors indicate that further clinical research is needed to isolate specific predictors for using cognitive therapy alone or in a combined regimen.     

A MODEL OF ADDICTION AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS

Many consumer behaviors are both addictive and social. Understanding how these two phenomena interact informs basic models of human behavior, and matters for policymakers when the behavior is regulated. I develop a new model of demand that incorporates both addiction and social interactions and show that, under certain conditions, social interactions reinforce the effects of addiction. I also show how the dynamics introduced by addiction can solve the pernicious problem of identifying the causal effects of social interactions. I then use the model to illustrate a new and important identification problem for studies of social interactions: existing estimates cannot be used to draw welfare conclusions or even to deduce whether social interactions increase aggregate demand. Finally, I develop a method that allows researchers to distinguish between two common forms of social interactions and draw welfare conclusions. (JEL D11, H20)     

Environmental Concern and Action: A View from the Border

An online survey investigated environmental concern and action among 105 Latino social work students (85% female) residing in a high poverty region near the U.S.–Mexico border. Approximately 85% of the respondents reported being moderately or very concerned about environmental issues, but the respondents' level of environmental concern exceeded their self-reported levels of knowledge and attention regarding environmental issues. Rates of practicing five pro-environmental behaviors varied from a low of 27% who used renewable sources of energy to 95% who turned off unneeded lights. Level of environmental concern predicted only one pro-environmental behavior. To address gaps in environmental knowledge and behavior, social work educators can help students analyze the connections between the health of the natural environment and human well-being, identify obstacles to pro-environmental behavior, and propose changes in organizations and communities to encourage environmentally responsible behavior.     

Human Inquiry Systems: Understanding Everyday Social Life And Its Stresses

Abstract

Ever since the rise of modern psychology questions arose as to how to scientifically study human behavior, whether from a socio-cultural perspective (geisteswissenschftlich) or by means of a more rigorous (positive) approach. However once psychology was defined as the study of behavior, it included animal behavior, and the positive approach became the dominant orientation in academic psychology, which made little differentiation between the methods employed in studying man or animal in the laboratories. This article examines the underlying proposition of these two paradigms, including their critical shortcomings and offers a complementary, more humanistic alternative to the study of human behavior, namely hermeneutics and discursive psychology. It will be argued that these alternatives offer a deeper understanding of human actions in a situated field because they attempts to take into account the motives and aims of people's conduct. Ultimately this approach attempts to assess a person's sense of social reality (in addition to the reality of a physical word) in the hope that a dialectic synthesis of laboratory research and hermeneutic understanding will lead to the manifestation of a greater emancipatory interests.     

DTREE,The Electronic DSM-111-R

A study showing that student internet behavior differed significantly for students with high scores on a test of depression is thought to be the first to consider the relationship between internet use and depression that focuses on patterns of online behavior rather than content. Study findings have the potential for use in the human services as a way to assess and/or promote mental health. Although the data were collected anonymously with Institutional Review Board approval and participants' informed consent, objections have been raised suggesting this type of data collection represents “Big Brother” or the monitoring of individuals' behavior without their awareness as portrayed in George Orwell's famous novel, 1984. The importance of this type of research in furthering our understanding of the impact of Internet use on human behavior is emphasized. Additionally, the role of the university is stressed as a location for conducting ethical research which disseminates findings via publication to inform and spur policymakers to develop appropriate guidelines to prevent misuse of new knowledge and technology.     

Rule-governed behavior and human behavioral pharmacology: A brief commentary on an important topic

Over 25 years ago, B. F. Skinner introduced the concept of rule-governed behavior, which is the topic of this commentary. To date, behavioral pharmacologists have given rule-governed behavior little consideration in their analyses of drug action. There are, however, published studies that demonstrate the importance of rule-governed behavior in modulating drug effects in humans. Rule-governed behavior may help to explain differences in drug self-administration in humans and nonhumans and, in humans, differences in drug effects across individuals and situations. This commentary suggests that rule-governed behavior merits further attention in the context of human behavioral pharmacology, and posits that scientists who are experts in verbal behavior can make a unique contribution to the theoretical and experimental analysis of drug-related human behaviors, including drug abuse and its treatment.

     

Influences of landscape and lifestyle on home energy consumption

Rapid urbanization coupled with concerns about global climate change has renewed interest in energy conservation and carbon dioxide emissions reduction. Urban residential energy consumption is a valuable place to start reducing emissions, and urban tree planting programs have been both proposed and utilized as an energy conservation mechanism. Home energy savings associated with urban trees are often quantified using models because of the many complex interactions among variables that can influence home energy use. However, recent empirical analyses have found that energy savings associated with trees may be minimal relative to other important factors like building characteristics and human behaviors. We surveyed 176 residents from four neighborhoods in Raleigh, NC with varying socio-economic characteristics to assess relationships between summer energy usage, tree cover, homeowner behavior, and building characteristics. As hypothesized, we found that building characteristics, demographics, and human behaviors were all significant variables in describing the variability in summertime home energy usage. Although, total percent tree cover 18?m around the home did not affect summertime energy use, the number of trees in the NE and NW quadrants around each household did predict home energy use. These results indicate that planting trees may not be a successful strategy for reducing energy use from the residential sector in the heavily forested Southeast; rather efforts should target conservation and efficiency.     

Defining terms in behavior analysis: Reinforcer and discriminative stimulus

Many definitions of reinforcer and discriminative stimulus found in behavioral texts include a requirement of temporal proximity between stimulus and response. However, this requirement is not consistently adopted. We present additional evidence from a questionnaire that was sent to members of the editorial boards of several behavioral journals showing that there is not universal agreement concerning the temporal parameters accepted in the definitions of reinforcer and discriminative stimulus. We suggest that the disagreement over the definitions of these essential terms ought to be at least addressed if not resolved. Because the discrepancy usually occurs when the behavior of verbal humans is at issue, we urge behavior analysts to be conservative when extending the terms reinforcer and discriminative stimulus from the behavior of nonhumans in the laboratory to human behavior where the effects of many stimuli may depend in part on sophisticated verbal repertoires.

     

The Salience of Multimodal Sensory Stimulation in Early Development: Implications for the Issue of Ecological Validity

Studies of infant development concerned with the emergence of specific perceptual or cognitive abilities have typically focused on responsiveness in only one sensory modality. Research on infant perception, learning, and memory often attempts to reduce multimodal stimulation to “noise” and to control or omit stimulation from other sensory modalities in experimental designs. This type of unimodal research, although important, may not generalize well to the behavior of infants in the multimodal context of the everyday world. Research from animal and human development is reviewed that documents that significant differences in infants' perceptual skills and abilities can be observed under conditions of unimodal versus multimodal stimulation. These studies provide converging evidence for a functional distinction between unimodal and multimodal stimulation during early development and suggest that ecological validity can be enhanced when research findings are generalized appropriately to the natural environment and are not overgeneralized across stimulus properties, tasks, or contexts.     

Endogamy as a Basis for Ethnic Behavior

In this article I argue for endogamy as a fundamental cause of human behavior that is often classified as ethnic. Specifically, I show that it would make evolutionary sense for people to help possible co-progenitors of their descendants. This suggests that in many situations people will help preferentially the minimal endogamous set of people to which they belong. Such help mostly will be restricted to providing benefits that are nearly "non-rival"—benefits that group members can "consume" without making others consume less. This (partial) explanation of pro-ethny behavior reconciles key points from various approaches to ethnicity and agrees with many empirical observations, such as the link between endogamy and ethnicity and the variability of criteria for ethnicity. This explanation yields predictions and explanations in a number of problematic areas; for example, it suggests that expansion of the marriage pool, often occurring as a result of urbanization, is a crucial factor in the transformation of local identities into nationalism.