Braucht Coaching eine philosophisch begründete Ethik?

Does coaching need a philosphically substantiated ethics? On the foundation of a systemic value oriented imperative for coachingThe general claim that coaches have to take responsibility for their clients is in contrast to the low interest in scientific discussion about ethics in coaching. One of the reasons for that seems to be the fact that this discussion is dominated by systemic thinking and its conviction that ethical aspects should be discussed as matter of contingency. From a philosophical point of view we can realize that this statement contains many ethical implications. Concerning a further development of coaching theory the author discusses these implications with regard to philosophical concepts of Kant, Habermas, Prange, Heidegger, Bauman and the Dalai Lama leading to the suggestion that systemic thinking should be more based on value orientation. On this theoretical grounds an ethical coaching imperative can be formulated with regard to the “categorical imperative” of Kant.     

Ovulatory shifts in female sexual desire

Women's reproductive biology imposes heavy obligatory costs of parental investment, creating strong selective forces hypothesized to shape female mating psychology around critical decisions such as the choice of partner, the timing of sexual intercourse, and the timing of reproduction. We propose that female sexual desire has evolved as one adaptation among several designed to regulate these decisions. We hypothesize (a) an increase in desire as conception probability increases, but only among women who are in committed long-term relationships; and (b) a shift in the desire for a primary partner as compared with extra-pair partners as ovulation approaches, dependent upon a woman's evaluation of her primary partner's relative quality. We tested several predictions derived from these hypotheses in a study of 173 women who were not taking oral contraceptives. Results confirmed Hypothesis 1: An ovulatory peak in sexual desire was found only for mated women; for unmated women, conception probability and sexual desire were uncorrelated. Hypothesis 2 was partially supported. Among mated women, those with higher conception probability exhibited higher levels of in-pair sexual desire relative to those at lower conception probability. Conception probability and relationship length interacted significantly to predict extra-pair desires, such that women in longer relationships were more likely to experience desire for extra-pair partners during periods of high conception probability. The pursuit of an in-pair conceptive strategy (as opposed to an extra-pair conceptive strategy) was also associated with the occurrence of sexual activity in the relationship.     

Food insufficiency and physical and mental health in a longitudinal survey of welfare recipients

Food insufficiency is a significant problem in the United States, and poor African American women with children are at especially high risk. An inadequate household food supply can potentially affect the well-being of household members, but it is difficult to distinguish the effects of food insufficiency from risk factors for poor health that are also common among the food insufficient, such as poverty. We examined food insufficiency and physical and mental health among African American and white women (n = 676) who were welfare recipients in 1997. Controlling for common risk factors, women who reported food insufficiency in both 1997 and 1998 were more likely to report fair or poor health at the later date. Food insufficiency in 1998 was significantly associated with meeting the diagnostic screening criteria for recent major depression. Food insufficiency at both times and in 1998 only was related to women's sense of mastery. These findings add to growing evidence that household food insufficiency is associated with poor physical and mental health.     

Public attitudes toward the use of psychiatric medications for children

Psychiatric medication use for children has increased dramatically over the past three decades. Despite substantial media attention to the issue, little is known about how the lay public feels about the use of psychiatric medications for children. Drawing on theories of medicalization, we describe and analyze Americans' attitudes towards the use of psychiatric medications generally and Prozac specifically for children described as having three types of behavioral problems. Using data from the 1998 General Social Survey's Pressing Issues in Health and Medical Care Module, we find that more Americans (57%) are willing to use psychiatric medications for children who have expressed suicidal statements than for "oppositional" behaviors (34.2%) or for hyperactivity (29.5%). Across the board, respondents are less willing to give Prozac than the general class of psychiatric medications. While socio-demographics do little to identify Americans with differing positions, the strongest and most consistent correlates of willingness to give psychiatric medications to children are trust in personal physicians, general attitudes towards psychiatric medications, and the respondent's expressed willingness to take psychiatric medications herself or himself.     

Determinants of sexual arousal and accuracy of its self-estimation in sexually functional males

Men with and without sexual dysfunction present with varying patterns of agreement between subjective estimates of sexual arousal and more objective psychophysiological measures of the same construct. This relative accuracy seems to be associated with sexual function, with men who have sexual dysfunction presenting less accurate estimations (mostly reporting below measured arousal levels). The purpose of this study is to clarify the processes underlying sexual arousal and the accuracy of its self-estimation. We looked at potential predictors of sexual arousal (subjective and physiological) and accuracy in estimating objective sexual arousal in a sample of 60 sexually functional males. Predictors included pre-existing sexual attitudes (erotophobia), both trait and state positive and negative affect, self-focused attention, and interoceptive awareness. Results indicate that this sexually functional sample generally reported below their own erection level. Interestingly, trait negative affect was associated with somewhat lower levels of subjective arousal and higher levels of physiological arousal. On the other hand, state positive affect facilitated both subjective and objective arousal and increased somewhat the accuracy of estimates of erectile responding. Pre-existing sexual attitudes as well as variations in self-focused attention and interoceptive awareness evidenced little effect on sexual arousal or the accuracy of its estimation.     

Sociology and political arithmetic: some principles of a new policy science

This paper advances the position that sociology needs to develop an approach to research which focuses on fundamental social problems. In doing so it shares many of the intellectual values and goals of political arithmetic while seeking to move methodologically beyond it. Since such problems are complex they will require, typically, interdisciplinary input and a concomitant approach to the development and appraisal of theories. We are not, therefore, advocating the primacy of sociology but arguing that it has a distinctive part to play in addressing the fundamental problems of the twenty-first century. However, a policy-oriented sociology has also to take up the task, so clearly defined by the tradition of political arithmetic, which is to hold governments to account. Consequently a central principle of a new policy science is that it should contribute to democratic debate about policy.     

Culturally sensitive adaptation of PREPARE with Japanese premarital couples

In this study, we attempted to achieve a culturally sensitive adaptation of the PREmarital Personal And Relationship Evaluation (PREPARE) Inventory with Japanese premarital couples (n = 849). A translation, back-translation, and construct modification process was initiated by a group of U.S. and Japanese researchers to ensure a culturally sensitive and applicable adaptation of PREPARE. Alpha reliability analyses revealed good internal consistency among Japanese PREPARE scales. A Japanese premarital couple typology was developed using cluster analyses. Several unique features of the Japanese premarital types are identified and discussed. Suggestions are provided for continued enhancement in adaptation process of PREPARE with Japanese premarital couples.     

An integrative intervention for promoting recovery from extramarital affairs

The discovery or disclosure of an extramarital affair can have a devastating impact on partners, both individually and on the relationships. Research suggests that affairs occur relatively frequently in relationships and are a common presenting problem in couple therapy. However, despite their prevalence, there is little empirical treatment research in this area, and most therapists describe this problem as one of the more difficult to treat. In this study, we used a replicated case-study design to explore the efficacy of an integrative treatment designed to help couples recover from an affair. Six couples entered and completed treatment. The majority of these couples were less emotionally or maritally distressed at the end of treatment, and the injured partners reported greater forgiveness regarding the affair. Details of the intervention, suggested adaptations of the treatment, and areas for future research are discussed.     

Patterns of mutual and nonmutual spouse abuse in the U.S. Army (1998-2002)

The pattern and severity of substantiated mutual and nonmutual spouse abuse between U.S. Army enlisted personnel and their spouses was determined for 1998 to 2002. The number of nonmutual and mutual abuse victims was equal in 1998, but by 2002 there were about twice as many non mutual as mutual victims. The rate per thousand of mutual abuse decreased by 58% while that of nonmutual abuse decreased by 13%. The rate per thousand of female victims was always greater than male victims for non-mutual abuse and the severity of abuse of female victims was always more severe than male victims. The active duty female had the highest risk of becoming a victim. These patterns of mutual and nonmutual domestic abuse in the U.S. Army suggest that prevention and educational approaches could be developed that would be useful to prevention specialists and to clinicians as the Army pursues avenues to reduce domestic violence.