Religion and attitudes towards nature in Britain

Religious institutions have been identified as important conduits in shaping social attitudes toward nature and the environment. Using Lynn White's historical thesis that Judeo-Christianity has cherished the domination of nature ('dominion' belief) by humans as our frame of reference, this article examines the impact of religion, specifically Abrahamic and Judeo-Christian beliefs, on environmental attitudes in Britain. Based on the 1993 British Social Attitudes Survey, a nationally representative sample of the adult population in Britain, the multivariate results of this paper suggest that: (a) there is no significant difference between Christians and non-Christians concerning environmental attitudes; (b) Roman Catholics are the most sceptic toward nature among Christian denominations; and (c) irrespective of religious identification, the two most notable and consistent factors in determining pro-dominion attitudes in Britain are educational attainment and particularly levels of scientific knowledge about the natural environment.     

Older transgender women in Thailand: views of service providers

The social and cultural construction of aging and how it is experienced by transgender women in Thailand has been neglected within the academic literature. This qualitative study explored how Thai lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) service providers construct aging transgender women. Fourteen semi-structured in-depth interviews and one focus group were conducted in Thailand between 2016 and 2017 with LGBTI staff members whose roles ranged from volunteer to senior management. This research was a part of a larger doctoral research project. In considering both gender identity and older age, a clearer understanding is established on how notions of “older” for transgender women are constructed by service providers. Thematic analysis was undertaken, which established that there is a lack of heterogeneity and shared understanding of the concepts of “age” and “older transgender women.” This key finding was compounded by the invisibility of older transgender women in the Thai landscape, which limited the extent to which older transgender women have been included in targeted service provision. Older transgender women lack agency and voice and have failed to be involved in the shaping of services that meet their needs.     

Vaginal Douching Practices Among Women Attending a University in the Southern United States

Abstract

The authors assessed the frequency, characteristics, and motivational antecedents of vaginal douching practices among 125 White and 155 Black female college students. Overall, 40% of the students had ever douched and half of those women currently douche. Black women were most likely to be encouraged to douche by their mothers, whereas White women were more influenced by television advertisements. Among the sexually active women, being Black, using oral contraceptives, using spermicides, and being encouraged to douche by their mothers or by the media were independently associated with ever having douched. These associations were present among both Black and White women and were stronger when current douching was compared with never having douched. Women who were discouraged from douching by a physician or nurse were more likely to have stopped the practice. Douching is common, even among educated young women; nurses' and physicians' advice to stop douching appears to have a salutary effect.     

Exploring the Relationship Between Experiential Avoidance,Alcohol Use Disorders,and Alcohol-Related Problems Among First-Year College Students

Abstract

Objective: This study explored the relationship of experiential avoidance (eg, the tendency to avoid, suppress, or otherwise control internal experiences even when doing so causes behavioral harm) to alcohol use disorders and alcohol-related problems. Participants: Cross-sectional data were collected from 240 undergraduate college students in their first year in college between December 2009 and April 2010. Methods: Participants completed a diagnostic interview and online self-report survey. Results: Students with a history of alcohol abuse or dependence had significantly higher levels of experiential avoidance relative to students with no alcohol use disorder diagnosis. A hierarchical linear regression analysis found that experiential avoidance significantly predicted alcohol-related problems, even after controlling for gender and psychological distress. Furthermore, experiential avoidance mediated the relationship of psychological distress to alcohol-related problems. Conclusions: These findings suggest that experiential avoidance may play a role in problematic alcohol use among college students.     

ATTRIBUTION ERROR IN ECONOMIC VOTING: EVIDENCE FROM TRADE SHOCKS

This article exploits the international transmission of business cycles to examine the prevalence of attribution error in economic voting in a large panel of countries from 1990 to 2009. We find that voters, on average, exhibit a strong tendency to oust the incumbent governments during an economic downturn, regardless of whether the recession is home‐grown or merely imported from trading partners. However, we find important heterogeneity in the extent of attribution error. A split sample analysis shows that countries with more experienced voters, more educated voters, and possibly more informed voters—all conditions that have been shown to mitigate other voter agency problems—do better in distinguishing imported from domestic growth. (JEL E3, E6)     

Vaginal douching practices among women attending a university in the southern United States

The authors assessed the frequency, characteristics, and motivational antecedents of vaginal douching practices among 125 White and 155 Black female college students. Overall, 40% of the students had ever douched and half of those women currently douche. Black women were most likely to be encouraged to douche by their mothers, whereas White women were more influenced by television advertisements. Among the sexually active women, being Black, using oral contraceptives, using spermicides, and being encouraged to douche by their mothers or by the media were independently associated with ever having douched. These associations were present among both Black and White women and were stronger when current douching was compared with never having douched. Women who were discouraged from douching by a physician or nurse were more likely to have stopped the practice. Douching is common, even among educated young women; nurses' and physicians' advice to stop douching appears to have a salutary effect.     

An Analog Study of First Language Dominance and Interference over Second Language

The purpose of this study was to design a model for “first language” dominance over “second language” performance and the interference of one language over the other. Two sets of equivalence relations showing a common element (i.e., the reference) were established under different contextual conditions. One set (“first language”) was over trained relative to the other (“second language”). Dominance of the “first language,” as demonstrated in relations involving the common element, was determined by examining performances in the absence of contextual stimuli. Interference by one language over the other was modeled by examining the degree to which resurgence of “first language” and “second language” relations would occur in extinction, following a period of exposure to inconsistent test trials. In addition, both selection-based (i.e., copy text) and topography-based (i.e., intraverbal) equivalence were examined in these areas. The results demonstrated that the development of an analog for a bilingual repertoire, the domination of the “first language” over the “second language” and the interference of one language over the other, were established.