An Exploratory Analysis of Executive Functioning for Female Sexual Offenders: A Comparison of Characteristics Across Offense Typologies

This study examined the association between female sexual offending behavioral patterns, as delineated by Sandler and Freeman's (2007 Sandler, J. C. and Freeman, N. J. 2007. Typology of female sex offenders: A test of Vandiver and Kercher. Sex Abuse, 19: 73–89. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) typologies, and executive functioning. The sample included all referrals for sexual offender assessments within a women's maximum/medium security prison between January 2009 and October 2009. Each subject was administered the Stroop (Golden & Freshwater, 2002 Golden, C. J. and Freshwater, S. M. 2002. The Stroop color and word test: A manual for clinical and experimental uses, Wood Dale, IL: Stoelting Company.  [Google Scholar]) and Trail Making Test (Reitan, 2004 Reitan, R. M. 2004. “Validity of the trail making test as an indicator of organic brain damage”. In Neuropsychological assessment, 4th, Edited by: Lezak, M. D., Howison, D. B. and Loring, D. W. 371–374. New York: Oxford University Press.  [Google Scholar]) and were assigned to a typological category. Nonparametric analyses were conducted to determine if there was an association between typology and performance on neuropsychological tests. Results yielded no significant associations between test scores and typological category. Subjects displayed average capacities for a subset of executive functions, suggesting that the mechanisms for sexually offending behavior in females may differ from males.     

Religiosity as a Potential Moderator of the Effects of R-rated Movies on Delinquency

Previous research suggests viewing R-rated movies is associated with delinquency (Tanski et al. 2010 Tanski , Susanne E. , Sonya Dal Cin , Mike Stoolmiller , and James D. Sargent . 2010. “Parental R-Rated Movie Restriction and Early-Onset Alcohol Use.” Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 71(3):452–460.[PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Titus-Ernstoff et al. 2008 Titus-Ernstoff , L. , M. A. Dalton , A. M. Adachi-Mejia , M. R. Longacre , and M. L. Beach . 2008 . “Longitudinal Study of Viewing Smoking in Movies and Initiation of Smoking by Children.” Pediatrics 121 : 15 – 21 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), while religiosity leads to decreases in substance use (Jang and Johnson 2001 Jang , Sung Joon and Byron R. Johnson . 2001 . “Neighborhood Disorder, Individual Religiosity, and Adolescent Use of Illicit Drugs: A Test of Multilevel Hypotheses.” Criminology 39 ( 1 ): 109 – 144 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Kovacs, Piko, and Fitzpatrick 2011 Jang , Sung Joon and Byron R. Johnson . 2011 . “The Effects of Childhood Exposure to Drug Users and Religion on Drug Use in Adolescence and Young Adulthood.” Youth and Society 43 : 1220 – 1245 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Miller 1998 Miller , W. 1998 . “Researching the Spiritual Dimensions of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems.” Addiction 93 : 979 – 990 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Regnerus 2003 Regnerus , Mark D. 2003 . “Moral Communities and Adolescent Delinquency: Religious Contexts and Community Social Control.” Sociological Quarterly 44 : 523 – 554 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). However, the influences of religiosity and viewing R-rated movies have not been examined in conjunction. This article tests whether religiosity moderates the effects of R-rated movies on delinquency, results suggesting that rather than religiosity moderating the effects of R-rated movies on delinquency, viewing R-rated movies actually tempers the pro-social effects of religiosity. This finding only held true for certain types of substance abuse, and not activity-based forms of delinquency such as fighting. The results are discussed in light of their implications for the current study of the effects of religiosity on delinquency, and suggestions are made for future research on the relationship between viewing R-rated movies and delinquency.     

Perceptions and Use of Gerotechnology: Implications for Aging in Place

ABSTRACT

Understanding perceptions and use of gerotechnology is crucial to optimize design, application, and education strategies that may reduce caregiver burden, extend healthy aging in place, and minimize demands on the health care system. A pilot project was conducted to explore attitudes, opinions, and preferences of older adults concerning the use of technology to support and extend their ability to “aging in place.” Four major themes emerged as important for older adults to age in place: safety and independence, social interaction, use of technology in the past, and the desire for support. Based on the literature in gerotechnology and the pilot study findings, we present a conceptual model that integrates gerotechnology into the life span theory of control (Heckhausen & Schulz, 1995 Heckhausen, J. and Schulz, R. 1995. A life-span theory of control. Psychological Review, 102(2): 284–304. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Schulz & Heckhausen, 1996 Schulz, R. and Heckhausen, J. 1996. A life span model of successful aging. American Psychologist, 51(7): 702–714. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and the concept of aging in place.     

Do Sons Prevent Marital Disruption More Than Daughters? Evidence From Italy

In a well-known study Morgan, Lye, and Condran (1988 Morgan, S. P., Lye, D. N. and Condran, G. A. 1988. Sons, daughters and the risk of marital disruption. American Journal of Sociology, 94(1): 110–129. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) stated that sons prevent the risk of divorce more than daughters do. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the sex composition of children on the stability of the parental marriage in Italy, a country where this research question is particularly interesting because of conservative gender roles within the family. The relative risk of marital dissolution is estimated for individuals with different numbers and sexes of children using a discrete time event-history model. The findings do not support either the hypothesis that sons contribute more to marital stability than daughters or the hypothesis that the effect of the sex composition of children has changed over time.     

Does Listening to Mozart Affect Listening Ability?

Considerable research has been conducted testing Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky's (1993) Rauscher, F. H., Shaw, G. L and Ky, K. N. 1993. Music and spatial task performance. Nature, 365: 611[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] Mozart Effect (ME). This study attempts to replicate, in part, research that tested the ME on listening comprehension abilities. Also included in this study is an examination of control group issues in current day research. We hypothesized that students who listen to Mozart would demonstrate greater listening comprehension than students involved in one of four control groups. Students were exposed to one of five treatments and then completed a listening comprehension test about a videotaped lecture they viewed. Ultimately, results uncovered a ME when comparing the Mozart A (alpha) group with the alternative treatment control groups (Mozart B [beta] music and Rock and Roll music), but no ME when comparing the Mozart A group and the non-music control groups (sitting in silence or working on a crossword puzzle). Discussion focused on the ME and listening comprehension as well as on the nature of control groups in experimental research.     

The Second Time ’Round: Gender Construction in Remarried Couples’ Wedding Planning

Humble, Zvonkovic, and Walker (2008 Humble, A. M., Zvonkovic, A. M. and Walker, A. J. 2008. “The royal we”: Gender ideology, display, and assessment in wedding work. Journal of Family Issues, 29(1): 3–25. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) studied division of labor in first-time marriages, finding a range of gender construction. This study applied their conceptualization to remarried couples, for whom little is known about division of labor or wedding experiences. Fourteen couples in which at least 1 spouse had recently remarried were interviewed about their wedding planning. Data analysis consisted of direct content analysis, rank order comparison, and matrix analysis. Contrasting Humble et al.'s findings, traditional and egalitarian couples were more common than transitional couples. Although remarriages tended to involve smaller and less complicated weddings, the majority of the couples replicated gendered patterns from their first weddings in subsequent weddings.     

The Dangers of the Universal: A Critique of Fonagy and Target's Theory of Sexual Enjoyment

Despite the cultural specificity of aspects of attachment theory (Layton, 2006 Layton , L. ( 2006 ). Racial identities, racial enactments, and normative unconscious processes . Psychoanalytic Quarterly , 75 , 237 – 269 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) it remains influential. Disorganized attachment and the alien self are linked to borderline phenomena and attacks upon the body (Fonagy et al., 2002 Fonagy , P. , Gergely , G. , Jurist , E. , & Target , M. ( 2002 ). Affect Regulation, Mentalization and the Development of the Self . New York , NY : Other Press . [Google Scholar]), including sexual attacks (Straker, 2002 Straker , G. ( 2002 ). Being in two minds: The psychodynamics of paedophilia. In Australian Psychoanalytic Society annual conference, July, Melbourne, Australia . [Google Scholar]). Recently (Fonagy, 2006 Fonagy , P. ( 2006 ). Psychosexuality and psychoanalysis: An overview . In: Identity, Gender and Sexuality 150 Years After Freud , ed. P. Fonagy , R. Krause , & M. Leuzinger-Bohleber . London , UK : International Psychoanalytical Association , pp. 1 – 20 . [Google Scholar], 2008 ——— . ( 2008 ). A genuinely developmental theory of sexual enjoyment and its implications for psychoanalytic technique . Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association , 56 , 11 – 36 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Target, 2007 Target , M. ( 2007 ). Is our sexuality our own? A developmental model of sexuality based on early affect mirroring . British Journal of Psychotherapy , 23 , 517 – 530 .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) used the concept of the alien self to explain sexuality in general. This article challenges this extension as it again ignores cultural specificity, presents psychoanalysis as the arbiter of “normal” sexuality, and entrenches heteronormativity. It also lends itself to inadvertently condoning sexual harassment, as evidenced in a case study presented by Fonagy (2008 ——— . ( 2008 ). A genuinely developmental theory of sexual enjoyment and its implications for psychoanalytic technique . Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association , 56 , 11 – 36 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]).     

Institutional processes of organizational culture

Queries into the creation of collective meaning through social processes arise in both organization culture and institutional theory. This paper applies DiMaggio and Powell’s (1983 DiMaggio, P.J. and Powell, W.W. 1983. The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48: 147–60. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) three isomorphic processes (mimetic, normative and coercive) from institutional theory to re‐think how structural and dynamic aspects of culture become nested, taken‐for‐granted and transmitted. We consider both acquiescence and resistance to isomorphic pressures in an effort to understand cultural persistence and transmission, forms of resistance to culture, change, the role of sub‐cultures and power usage through Oliver’s (1992 Oliver, C. 1992. The antecedents of de‐institutionalization. Organization Studies, 13: 563–88. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) de‐institutionalization thesis. Our purpose in applying isomorphic processes to organizational culture is to offer another layer of understanding enhanced by the growing body of research in institutional theory, bridge one division between micro and macro theory and provide some suggestions for future research.     

Reply to Cameron et al.: Mistakes Were Made. Can They Be Corrected?

Cameron, Cameron, and Proctor (2017 Cameron, P., Cameron, K. M., &; Proctor, K. (2017). Children of homosexuals more apt to become homosexual and experience parental molestation: Surveys over three decades. Marriage &; Family Review, 53, 429–433. doi:10.1080/01494929.2017.1279942[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) have complained that Cameron and Cameron (1996 Cameron, P., &; Cameron, K. (1996). Homosexual parents. Adolescence, 31, 757–776.[PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) were not cited in some articles authored by this journal’s editor. As part of this editor’s policy of welcoming critiques of the editor or articles published in Marriage &; Family Review, we are pleased to respond, as part of an assignment for a graduate course in statistics and research design. Although remarkable for its time in terms of sample design, Cameron and Cameron’s (1996 Cameron, P., &; Cameron, K. (1996). Homosexual parents. Adolescence, 31, 757–776.[PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) research featured substantial limitations or ambiguity in sampling attrition, measurement of parental sexual orientation, and small sample size with respect to the number of children with same-sex parents. Although we cannot recall the exact reasons for which the editor neglected to cite Cameron and Cameron (1996 Cameron, P., &; Cameron, K. (1996). Homosexual parents. Adolescence, 31, 757–776.[PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) in more frequency or detail, there were many scientifically reasonable possibilities. Cameron et al. (2017 Cameron, P., Cameron, K. M., &; Proctor, K. (2017). Children of homosexuals more apt to become homosexual and experience parental molestation: Surveys over three decades. Marriage &; Family Review, 53, 429–433. doi:10.1080/01494929.2017.1279942[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) are welcome to respond in detail to our concerns.     

Conceptualization and Assessment of Homonegativity

ABSTRACT

The goals of this research include highlighting problematic issues of conceptualization and measurement with respect to research examining homonegativity. Using a sample of nearly 650 university students, we test hypotheses of M. A. Morrison and Morrison (2002) Morrison, T. G., Kenny, P. and Harrington, A. 2005. Modern prejudice toward gay men and lesbian women: Assessing the viability of a measure of modern homonegative attitudes within an Irish context. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 131(3): 219–250. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] who claim that old-fashioned and modern homonegativity are statistically distinct domains and that university students endorse a higher degree of modern than old-fashioned homonegativity. In addition, we examine relationships between reported negative and positive behaviors involving lesbians and gay men and degrees of modern and old-fashioned homonegativity. Factor analyses did not support the distinctiveness of the two homonegativity domains, and only 16% of the sample endorsed a higher degree of modern compared with old-fashioned homonegativity. Findings are discussed with respect to their implications for future research.     

Comment on Cross,Fine, Jones,and Walsh (2012): Do Mental Health Professionals Who Serve on/with Child Advocacy Centers Experience Role Conflict?

Cross, Fine, Jones, and Walsh's (2012 Cross, T. P., Fine, J. E., Jones, L. M. and Walsh, W. A. 2012. Mental health professionals in children's advocacy centers: Is there role conflict?. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 21(1): 91–108. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) article “Mental Health Professionals in Children's Advocacy Centers: Is There Role Conflict?” challenges two recent publications' criticisms that child advocacy centers create role conflict for mental health professionals and explains how child advocacy centers actually work, describing the different roles for mental health professionals who participate in them. This commentary points out that more precise data would have helped to specifically address the critics' concerns. Furthermore, professional ethics and licensure issues may have served as an additional but unacknowledged check on the “spillover effect” that the critics have alleged comes with being associated with prosecution. This commentary also highlights three main strengths of the Cross and colleagues' article.     

Comment on Cross,Fine, Jones,and Walsh (2012): Good Therapeutic Services— Therapeutic Advocacy and Forensic Neutrality

Cross, Fine, Jones, and Walsh (2012 Cross, T. P., Fine, J. E., Jones, L. M. and Walsh, W. A. 2012. Mental health professionals in children's advocacy centers: Is there role conflict?. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 21(1): 91–108. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) provided a thoughtful review and critique of a book chapter describing the interview process at Child Advocacy Centers. They observed some of the ways that concerns raised in that chapter are being addressed and described revised guidelines that further clarify issues. Ongoing research and examination of the important processes carried on by child advocacy centers and the role fulfilled by mental health professionals in the investigation of child sexual abuse contributes positively to service delivery.     

MISSED CALL? A REEXAMINATION OF SPORT FANS' AND NONFANS' ALCOHOL USAGE AND ALCOHOL-RELATED EXPERIENCES

The current investigation attempted to replicate and extend Nelson and Weschler's (2003 Nelson , T. F. and H. Wechsler . 2003 . “School Spirits: Alcohol and Collegiate Sport Fans.” Addictive Behaviors 28 : 1 – 11 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) research that indicated that college student sport fans were more likely to report problematic alcohol usage and more negative alcohol-related experiences in comparison to nonfans. In addition to utilizing the original study's operational definition of fan (spectator-based), 323 college students were categorized according to more traditional measures of fandom, specifically levels of fan and team identification. Contrary to the previous research, the results indicated that fans' and nonfans' alcohol usage and experiences of negative alcohol-related events were not significantly different. Additionally, both forms of identification (fan and team) failed to predict problematic alcohol usage and negative alcohol-related experiences. Although the results were unaffected by the operational definitions of fan, distinguishing certain subgroups of fans may be important in regards to clarifying and advancing our understanding of the potential relationship between sport and alcohol usage. These distinctions could guide efforts to reduce problematic alcohol usage.     

What do young adult carers learn through supporting family members? Extending the affirmation model

Abstract

Some writers (e.g. O'Dell, Crafter, de Abreu, Cline 2010 O’Dell, Lindsey, Sarah Crafter, Guida de Abreu, and Tony Cline. 2010. Constructing ‘Normal Childhoods’: Young People Talk About Young Carers. Disability & Society, 25 (6): 643–655.[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) have argued that young carers are just one among many categories of youth who navigate the transition to adulthood while already carrying responsibilities usually associated with adulthood. This article explores that position in relation to a research project, undertaken in North-East England, which generated 13 in-depth biographical accounts with 16–25-year-old carers about their transitions to adulthood. It will be argued that their experiences of supporting disabled people in their families resulted in these young adult carers becoming more other-centred than their peers. Otherwise, their transitions to adulthood were mostly typical of young people in other types of adult role. The article discusses whether an affirmation model of disability (Swain and French 2000 Swain, John and Sally French. 2000. Towards an Affirmation Model of Disability. Disability & Society, 15 (4): 569–582.[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) can be used to help young adult carers take positive ownership of their identities in the challenging context of post-industrial youth.     

Community-Based Participatory Research as a Social Work Research and Intervention Approach

Social workers are now often expected to base their practice on solid empirical findings, but research can vary in terms of its usefulness and relevance to practice. Some social workers have criticized traditional research approaches, suggesting that they are not consistent with the profession's mission to serve vulnerable and disadvantaged populations (e.g., Finn, 1994 Finn, J. L. 1994. The promise of participatory research. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 5: 25–42. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). Community-based participatory action research may be an appropriate alternative that is participatory, empowering, and committed to social justice (Minkler & Wallerstein, 2008 Minkler, M. and Wallerstein, N. 2008. “Introduction to CBPR: New issues and emphases”. In Community-based participatory research for health, 2nd, Edited by: Minkler, M. and Wallerstein, N. 5–23. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.  [Google Scholar]). This article explores the connection between social work and CBPR, illustrating how CBPR can contribute significantly to achieving the field's goals.     

A Critical Examination of an Urban-Based Youth Empowerment Strategy: The Teen Empowerment Program

ABSTRACT

Youths from marginalized and disenfranchised communities can be empowered to advocate for social justice through civic engagement and sociopolitical action. Examining youth empowerment programs, using critical social theory, builds upon our understanding of sociopolitical systems and oppression and provides a lens to examine mechanisms of change while applying theory to practice. Jennings, Parra-Medina, Messias, and McLoughlin (2006 Jennings, L. B., Parra-Medina, D. M., Messias, D. K. H. and McLoughlin, K. 2006. Toward a critical social theory of youth empowerment. Journal of Community Practice, 14: 31–55. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) have identified six dimensions of critical youth empowerment programs, which provide a framework for examining youth empowerment programs. This article presents the Teen Empowerment program, as implemented with high-risk youths in urban communities, and examines it along these six dimensions and provides a model for how to critically examine youth empowerment programs using this framework.     

Thinking the Unthinkable: Anal Sex in Theory and Practice

This essay takes up the issue of anal sexuality among gay men in order to consider the relationship between bodily and psychic penetrability. The lack of recognition some gay men may experience with this aspect of their sexuality suggests the importance that feeling “mentalized” (e.g., Fonagy and Target, 1993 Fonagy , P. & Target , M. ( 1993 ). Aggression and the psychological self . International Journal of Psycho-Analysis , 74 , 471 – 485 .[PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) may play in adult life. Drawing on early gay liberation and ACT UP-era theorizing about anal sex and an extended clinical example, I explore the meanings of gay men's wishes to (and fears of) penetrate and be penetrated on both bodily and psychic levels as well as the consequences of feeling denied entry. My consideration of these matters becomes in turn an occasion for a critical assessment of the mentalization concept itself.     

Consensual Nonmonogamy: Psychological Well-Being and Relationship Quality Correlates

Consensually nonmonogamous relationships are those in which all partners explicitly agree that each partner may have romantic or sexual relationships with others (Conley, Ziegler, Moors, Matsick, &; Valentine, 2013 Conley, T. D., Ziegler, A., Moors, A. C., Matsick, J. L., &; Valentine, B. (2013). A critical examination of popular assumptions about the benefits and outcomes of monogamous relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 17, 124–141. doi:10.1177/1088868312467087[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). In this article, research examining the associations between consensual nonmonogamy, psychological well-being, and relationship quality is reviewed. Specifically, three types of consensual nonmonogamy are examined: swinging, open relationships (including sexually open marriage and gay open relationships), and polyamory. Swinging refers to when a couple practices extradyadic sex with members of another couple; open relationships are relationships in which partners agree that they can have extradyadic sex; and polyamory is the practice of, belief in, or willingness to engage in consensual nonmonogamy, typically in long-term and/or loving relationships. General trends in the research reviewed suggest that consensual nonmonogamists have similar psychological well-being and relationship quality as monogamists. Methodological challenges in research on consensual nonmonogamy and directions for future research are discussed.     

Clinical Realism Versus the Seductions of Universal Theory: Discussion of Celenza's “The Guilty Pleasure of Erotic Countertransference: Searching for Radial True”

In this discussion of Celenza's (this issue) article, I consider a paradox in our responses to psychoanalytic writing: from the same data, we expect both “clinical realism” and something more universal that expands psychoanalytic theory. So with Celenza's rich clinical material: from it, I argue, we may be able to make some universal claims about psychoanalytic process at the most general level. It is not, however, possible to make universal claims about what transpires in analyses in general based on the particular treatments she describes. Instead, I argue that the content of any given analysis inevitably varies with each individual patient and each analytic dyad. This discussion is greatly informed by the work of Edgar Levenson (1982 Levenson , E. ( 1982 ). Follow the fox: An inquiry into the vicissitudes of psychoanalytic supervision . Contemporary Psychoanalysis , 18 , 1 – 15 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and Benjamin Wolstein (1981 ———. ( 1981 ). Psychic realism of psychoanalytic inquiry . Contemporary Psychoanalysis , 17 , 399 – 412 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]).