False Belief and Emotion Understanding in Post-institutionalized Children

Deficits in social cognition may impair the ability to negotiate social transactions and relationships and contribute to socio emotional difficulties experienced by some post‐institutionalized children. We examined false belief and emotion understanding in 40 institutional care‐adopted children, 40 foster care‐adopted children and 40 birth children. Both groups of adopted children were adopted internationally. Controlling for verbal ability, post‐institutionalized children scored lower than birth children on a false belief task. Almost half of the post‐institutionalized children performed below chance levels. The foster care group did not differ from either group on false belief understanding. The groups did not differ on emotion understanding after controlling for verbal ability. The results suggest that some post‐institutionalized children are delayed in false belief understanding.     

Medical Uncertainty in Students Entering Medical School

Abstract

Uncertainty is a fundamental characteristic of medical practice. Renee Fox described three types of uncertainty: limitations in the body of medical knowledge, incomplete mastery of existing knowledge, and distinguishing between limitations and mastery of knowledge. This investigation administered ten Likert-format questions about uncertainty to 171 incoming medical students at one state medical school Items were reliable over a six week test-retest, and validity was supported by correlations with an Intolerance of Ambiguity scale. Entering students recognized that uncertainty exists in medical knowledge and mastery of medical knowledge. Factor analysis of the ten item uncertainty scale revealed three dimensions: uncertainty of the profession, practice certainty, and growth in uncertainty. No significant differences in the uncertainty items, scale, or factors existed by demographic characteristics or medical specialty preferences. These findings suggest that students are aware of issues surrounding uncertainty in medicine as they begin medical school, but medical uncertainty at this early stage in medical socialization is not sufficiently powerful to be associated with medical specialty preference.     

Academic Affiliations of Those Published in Social Work Journals: A Productivity Analysis, 1989–1993

Abstract

The academic affiliations of the authors of all articles published in six social work journals between 1989 and 1993 were reviewed and tabulated to produce a ranking of the colleges and universities whose faculty are making the most substantive contributions to the social work literature. The results of this analysis are compared with the findings of two similar, previously published studies covering the five-year periods of 1979-1983 and 1984-1988.     

Electronic Social Psychology

Abstract

Unfortunately, it is not possible to comment on how the social psychological community has responded to ESP and its somewhat novel features, because ESP has not yet obtained a large audience. Many social psychologist are interested, but most simply do not have the equipment needed to use ESP. Many have personal computers, but few have modems, and those who do have modes haves not used them much. Further, some have expressed resersvations about the cost of telecommunicating, claiming that traditional means of communication serve the purpose well enough. Cost is a very legitimate concern, as telecommunicating can be expensive, but it is also somewhat short-sighted. (It reminds one of the reaction of some London business men who resisted the telephone because there were plenty of messenger boys in the city.) Computers offer people the chance to communicate and share information in ways that have not been possible before--in ways that can be beneficial to the community of social psychologists. One cannot evaluate telecommunications (or anything) solely in terms of its costs; it should be judged on a cost-benefit bases. While the benefits are somewhat difficult to judge at present, members of the profession will undoubtedly realize them in time. Telecommunications will not only stand the test of cost-benefit evaluation, but pass it with flying colors.     

Exploring College Students’ Use of General and Alcohol-Related Social Media and Their Associations With Alcohol-Related Behaviors

Abstract

Objective: Alcohol marketers have increasingly moved their advertising efforts into digital and social media venues. As a result, the purpose of this study is to investigate associations between students’ use of social media, their exposure to alcohol marketing messages through social media, and their alcohol-related beliefs and behaviors. Participants: Public and private university students (N = 637) participated November and December 2011 and April 2012. Methods: College students completed online surveys to measure their exposure to social and online media generally, as well as their alcohol-related digital media use and alcohol use. Results: Use of social media related to alcohol marketing predicted alcohol consumption and engaging in risky behaviors, whereas the use of social media more generally did not. Conclusions: Students’ use of alcohol-related social media–marketing content associates with their problem drinking. Results have implications for alcohol abuse reduction efforts targeted at college students and suggest the importance of considering social, cultural, and cognitive factors in campaign planning and design.     

Domestication and regulation of online gambling and pornography

Abstract

This paper explores aspects of the dynamic relationship between households and the internet, particularly the accessing of online gambling and pornography. Attention is focused on two areas: domestication and regulation. In terms of the latter, the State is portrayed as having difficulty in keeping pace with technological change. Domestication refers to the process by which objects are incorporated by households. The final moment in the process of domestication is that of conversion whereby households make claims for themselves around the routines and usage of technologies for accessing online gambling and pornography beyond the domestic space. It is suggested that the rise of non‐commodity or gift‐based forms of exchange, predicated on file sharing, is significant. That is, the internet impacts on the moral economy of households in important ways, but of potentially greater significance are the ways households stand to make over the generalised system of equivalence and exchange expressed within the internet.     

美国托马斯杰弗逊大学杰弗逊医学院病理学教学概况

美国托马斯杰弗逊大学杰弗逊医学院病理学教学分为理论教学、专题研讨会、病例读片会。其教学以学生自学为主 ,教学内容多 ,有深度 ,教学时数少 ,注重病理知识与临床实际的结合     

Health Benefits and Health Cost Savings Due to Pets: Preliminary Estimates from an Australian National Survey

American, Australian and British studies have shown that pet dogs and cats confer health benefits on their owners. This paper reports results from the first national survey (N = 1011) estimating the magnitude of these benefits. The survey showed that dog and cat owners make fewer annual doctor visits and are less likely to be on medication for heart problems and sleeping difficulties than non-owners. An important public policy implication is that pet ownership probably reduces national health expenditure. By linking sample survey results to data on health expenditure, the paper proposes a method of estimating savings. A preliminary estimate of savings of $988 million is given for Australia for financial year 1994--95.