Improving body image and sexual health behaviors among college women

ABSTRACT

Objective: To conduct a pilot test to determine if the Body Project, an eating disorder prevention program, was able to reduce risky sexual behaviors. Participants: Twenty college-age women ages 18–21 (in March, 2015) who endorsed both body image dissatisfaction and previous or current sexual activity. Methods: Participants were randomized to the Body Project or psychoeducational control group, and completed baseline, post-test, and 6-month follow-up measures assessing body image concerns, eating behaviors, and sexual behaviors and attitudes. Results: An intervention manipulation check demonstrated that body image variables were in expected directions, though were not significant by group. There was a significant interaction across group and time for “unanticipated sexual encounters,” which decreased in the Body Project group. Conclusions: This pilot study supports the feasibility of using an eating disorder prevention program to reduce other risky behaviors, specifically risky sexual behaviors.     

Indoor Tanning and Problem Behavior

Objective: The authors examined factors predicting college students' use of tanning beds. Participants and Methods: Undergraduate students (N = 745) at a large Northeastern university participated in the study by answering a survey measuring tanning behavior and other psychosocial variables, including sensation seeking, self-esteem, tanning image beliefs, and friends' tanning bed use. Results: All 3 systems from problem behavior theory predicted past tanning bed use and intention to use tanning beds. The authors observed a positive association between sensation seeking and intention to use tanning beds. Tanning image beliefs were positively associated with both past tanning behavior and intention to use tanning beds. Conclusions: Interventions focusing on friend and acquaintance social network influences may be more effective than health-risk campaigns in reducing tanning bed use.     

Evaluation of Verbal Behavior in Older Adults

Approximately 5% of older adults have a dementia diagnosis, and language deterioration is commonly associated with this disorder (Kempler, 2005). Several instruments have been developed to diagnose dementia and assess language capabilities of elderly adults. However, none of these instruments take a functional approach to language assessment as described by Skinner (1957). The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a function-based assessment for language deficits of older adults. Thirty-one participants were categorized into a control group (n  =  15) and a dementia group (n  =  16) based on their score on the Dementia Rating Scale-2. Individuals with dementia performed significantly worse on the tact assessment than those without dementia. Participants from both groups performed better on measures of tacts than intraverbals or mands, even though topographically identical responses were required in these assessments. The data provide support for Skinner''s conceptualization of functionally independent verbal operants.     

An Analysis of Verbal Stimulus Control in Intraverbal Behavior: Implications for Practice and Applied Research

A common characteristic of the language deficits experienced by children with autism (and other developmental disorders) is their failure to acquire a complex intraverbal repertoire. The difficulties with learning intraverbal behaviors may, in part, be related to the fact that the stimulus control for such behaviors usually involves highly complex verbal stimuli. The antecedent verbal control of intraverbal behavior may involve discriminative stimuli (i.e., discriminated operants), conditional stimulus control, and/or control by compound stimuli. Distinctions among these different types of antecedent control are presented, along with recommendations for intervention procedures that may facilitate the acquisition of intraverbal behavior.     

Echoic and Self-Echoic Responses in Children

Eleven typically developing children were assessed on the accuracy of prompted self-echoic responses following a 5-s delay from their initial echoic response, replicating procedures in Esch, Esch, McCart, and Petursdottir (2010) that compared discrepancies between echoic and self-echoic scores of autistic and typically developing children following a 2-s delay. We compared the two studies in terms of age, level tested, and echoic/self-echoic discrepancy scores. Age and test level differences were found to be statistically significant. Results are discussed in terms of discrepant self-echoic performance and self-echoic rehearsal as it relates to participant age, test level, motivating variables, and the development of complex behavior.     

Comparing Acquisition of Exchange-Based and Signed Mands With Children With Autism

Therapists and educators frequently teach alternative-communication systems, such as picture exchanges or manual signs, to individuals with developmental disabilities who present with expressive language deficits. Michael (1985) recommended a taxonomy for alternative communication systems that differentiated between selection-based systems in which each response is topographically identical (e.g., card selection and exchange systems) and topography-based systems in which each response is topographically distinct (e.g., signed language). We compared the efficiency of training picture exchanges and signs with 3 participants who presented with severe language deficits; all participants acquired the picture-exchange responses more readily.     

Developing a Research Agenda on Resident-to-Resident Aggression: Recommendations From a Consensus Conference

This article provides an overview of the development of a research agenda on resident-to-resident aggression (RRA) in long-term care facilities by an expert panel of researchers and practitioners. A 1-day consensus-building workshop using a modified Delphi approach was held to gain consensus on nomenclature and an operational definition for RRA, to identify RRA research priorities, and to develop a roadmap for future research on these priorities. Among the six identified terms in the literature, RRA was selected. The top five priorities were: (a) developing/assessing RRA environmental interventions; (b) identification of the environmental factors triggering RRA; (c) incidence/prevalence of RRA; (d) developing/assessing staff RRA education interventions; and (e) identification of RRA perpetrator and victim characteristics. Given the significant harm RRA poses for long-term care residents, this meeting is an important milestone, as it is the first organized effort to mobilize knowledge on this under-studied topic at the research, clinical, and policy levels.     

西蒙·奥提斯的《反击》：环境正义、变革的生态批评及中间地带

“自然”、“地方”和“正义”等概念是正在勃兴的社会和环境正义运动的基石.与倡导“荒野伦理”的美国主流环保主义者相比,美国印第安裔诗人西蒙·奥提斯更关注位于自然与文化的中间地带的园地,并倡导一种“园地伦理”,展现出与前者截然不同的自然观.在此基础上,当代生态批评学者对“中间地带”的探讨将有助于人们思考在特定的地方生态、文化、经济、政治和社会状况的差异是如何产生的,从而推动社会与环境正义运动的进程.     

我国重污染行业上市公司环境经营等级评价研究构思

针对多起因上市公司故意拖延披露事故信息而加剧环境污染损害的现象,我国环境保护部发布相关文件,强制重污染行业上市公司披露环境信息.但仅解决公司环境信息披露规范问题,却不深度创新现行企业环境行为评价制度,环境责任难以内生为企业主动环境战略和环境策略行为,环境污染事故随时可能发生.鉴于日本众多企业通过环境经营实现可持续发展的事实,设计能够深入到企业环境管理具体层面,贯穿企业环境管理战略、计划和绩效三个层次,具备分行业评价能力的我国重污染行业上市公司环境经营等级评价体系将是一个值得研究的问题.对此,着重探讨了该评价体系的理论框架以及今后的研究构思.     

洛阳市投资法治环境存在的问题与对策

良好的投资环境是推动洛阳市整体经济发展的重要保障,在"福民强市"整体目标下,洛阳市投资环境整体向好。但经济发展与环境容量、降低能耗的矛盾仍然突出,地方性法规、规章的制定速度与经济社会发展对法律的需求之间存在差距。从法治的视角,为经济发展过程中存在的问题寻求解决之道,需从社会治安、环境保护、鼓励投资、金融安全、司法公正、创建服务型政府等方面为经济发展提供良好的法治环境。