USES OF CHILDREN'S MAKE-BELIEVE PLAY IN FAMILY THERAPY:THEORY AND CLINICAL EXAMPLES

A theoretical framework for developing, describing and analyzing family-therapeutic techniques involving make-believe play is presented and illustrated by clinical examples. This theoretical framework includes specifications of the therapeutic goals served by the technique and its procedural details (the therapist's position and roles, the method of intervention, the sources of play content and means, and the amount of planning) and an analysis of its rationale (the properties of the make-believe play involved, the targets of the intervention in the family system, the expected changes and their causes). This framework draws on a definition of the concept "make-believe play," a model for the analysis of make-believe play symbols and a model of family systems, which are briefly sketched in this article, preceding the presentation of the theoretical framework itself.     

Tobacco,Marijuana, and Alcohol Use in University Students: A Cluster Analysis

Abstract

Objective: Segmentation of populations may facilitate development of targeted substance abuse prevention programs. The authors aimed to partition a national sample of university students according to profiles based on substance use. Participants: The authors used 2008–2009 data from the National College Health Assessment from the American College Health Association. The sample consisted of 111,245 individuals from 158 institutions. Methods: The sample was partitioned using cluster analysis according to current substance use behaviors. The association of cluster membership with individual and institutional characteristics was examined. Results: Cluster analysis yielded 6 distinct clusters. Three individual factors—gender, year in school, and fraternity/sorority membership—were the most strongly associated with cluster membership. Conclusions: In a large sample of university students, the authors were able to identify 6 distinct patterns of substance abuse. It may be valuable to target specific populations of college-aged substance users based on individual factors. However, comprehensive intervention will require a multifaceted approach.     

Parents Differentiate Between Their Personal Values and Their Socialization Values: The Role of Adolescents' Values

This study focuses on the differentiation process, involving the emergence of a distinction between parents' own personal values and their socialization values (the values they want their children to adopt), and on the contribution of children's values to their parents' socialization values. Measures of personal and socialization values were administrated to 603 Israeli adolescents and their parents. As we hypothesized, parents differentiate between their personal values and their socialization values. Moreover, adolescents' values had a specific contribution to their parents' socialization values. These findings provide new support to the notion that the socialization process should be considered as the result of the interaction between parents and their adolescent children rather than as a unidirectional process affected by parents alone.     

Understandings of environmental injustice and sustainability in marginalized communities: A qualitative inquiry in Nevada

As eco‐social work practice and scholarship continues to grow, multiple frameworks are emerging to help guide the work. In this study, we interviewed 59 people affected by environmental injustice. Participants identified components within both environmental injustice and sustainability, as well as gaps that these models individually do not support. Therefore, we suggest that merging environmental justice with sustainability through centering justice (a component within environmental justice), and also finding solutions through technological advances (a component within sustainability), may best support these communities. In addition, the participants discussed the need for support, which social workers can provide.     

COVID‐19 and raising the value of care

In this opinion piece, we argue the current pandemic is shining a light on caregiving as critical work that is under‐valued and under‐paid. We call upon national lawmakers to raise the value of care work. Doing so would also make progress in solving another national crisis: closing the gender wage gap. We explore how the gender wage gap is driven primarily by the fact that men and women sort into different work, with women being over‐represented in work where they care for others and in work that allows them to care for their families.     

Couples’ Sexual Communication and Dimensions of Sexual Function: A Meta-Analysis

Research and clinical data have shown that couples with sexual problems report a lack of sexual communication. However, no published meta-analyses have evaluated the relationship between sexual communication and sexual function. This meta-analysis examines the correlation between couples’ sexual communication and dimension of sexual function across 48 studies. Sexual communication was positively associated with sexual desire (r = .16), sexual arousal (r = .21), lubrication (r = .17), orgasm (r = .23), erectile function (r = .19), less pain (r = .12), and overall sexual function (r = .35). The effect sizes for sexual desire (r = .21; r = .12) and orgasm (r = .26; r = .16) were higher for women than for men. For overall sexual function, studies with married participants (r = .47) had a larger effect size than studies with participants with multiple relationship types (r = .31) or than studies with dating participants (r = .11). Effect sizes were larger for studies conducted outside of the United States (r = .39) compared to studies conducted in the United States (r = .12). We discuss the importance of addressing the relationship between sexual communication and sexual function, as well as future directions for research in this area.     

Infants Show Ratio‐dependent Number Discrimination Regardless of Set Size

Evidence for approximate number system (ANS) representations in infancy is robust but has typically only been found when infants are presented with arrays of four or more elements. In addition, several studies have found that infants fail to discriminate between small numbers when continuous variables such as surface area and contour length are controlled. These findings suggest that under some circumstances, infants fail to recruit either the ANS or object file representations for small sets. Here, we used a numerical change detection paradigm to assess 6‐month‐old infants' ability to represent small values. In Experiment 1, infants were tested with 1 versus 3, 1 versus 2, and 2 versus 3 dots. Infants successfully discriminated 1 versus 3 and 1 versus 2, but failed with 2 versus 3. In Experiment 2, we tested whether infants could compare small and large values with a 2 versus 4 condition. Across both experiments, infants' performance exhibited ratio dependence, the hallmark of the ANS. Our results indicate that infants can attend to the purely numerical attributes of small sets and that the numerical change detection paradigm accesses ANS representations in infancy regardless of set size.