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Public speaking anxiety (PSA) is a common social phobia. Although cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is the treatment of choice, difficulties arise with both in vivo and in vitro exposure (lack of therapist control, patient's inability to imagine, self-flooding, and a lack of confidentiality resulting from public exposure). Virtual reality CBT (VRCBT) enables a high degree of therapist control, thus overcoming these difficulties. In a previous publication, the authors reported on their findings that VRCBT (n = 28) and CBT (n = 30) groups were significantly more effective than a wait-list control (WLC; n = 30) group in anxiety reduction on four of five anxiety measures as well as on participant's self-rating of anxiety during a behavioral task. No significant differences were found between VRCBT and CBT. However, twice as many clients dropped out of CBT (15) than from VRCBT (6). Results demonstrated that VRCBT is an effective and brief treatment regimen, equal to CBT. This brief report examined durability of these changes. They found that both VRCBT (25) and CBT (24) groups maintained their improvement from post treatment to follow-up, on all five measures. In addition, they found that the CBT group continued to improve from post treatment to follow-up on Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) fear. Thus, treatment gains were maintained at a 1-year follow-up. (Contains 1 table.)

Public speaking anxiety (PSA) is a common phobia. Although cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is preferred, difficulties arise with the exposure component (lack of therapist control, patient's inability to imagine, self-flooding, loss of confidentiality resulting from public exposure). Virtual reality CBT (VRCBT) enables a high degree of therapist control, thus overcoming these difficulties. This study examined whether VRCBT is an alternative to CBT. Participants with PSA were randomly assigned to VRCBT (28 participants), CBT (30 participants), and wait list control (WLC; 30 participants). VRCBT and CBT were significantly more effective than WLC in anxiety reduction on four of five anxiety measures, and on subject's self-rating of anxiety during a behavioral task. No significant differences were found on observer ratings of the behavioral task. However, twice as many participants dropped out from CBT than from VRCBT. Our results demonstrated that VRCBT is an effective and brief treatment regimen, equal to CBT. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

This study interviewed 39 mothers of young children with autism of whom 19 reported their children had experienced developmental regression, especially in verbal and non-verbal communication and social skills. Mean age of regression was 24 months. There was little difference between children who regressed and those who did not in maternal perceptions and reports of development, family, or medical history. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

A study of the effect of teachers' asymmetric perceptions of girls and boys on 147 Jewish Israeli second and sixth graders' (78 males and 69 females) perceptions of student prominence in school relevant categories found that students judged more boys as prominent. Same-sex peers were also judged prominent. (JB)

Online sexual behavior may be more completely explained by integrating a Pull Factor analysis, centering on the characteristics of the Internet that make it an appealing outlet for sexuality (e.g., 'Triple A Engine') and a Push Factor analysis, centering on characteristics of the offline world that disallow fulfillment of sexual desires. This new framework is utilized in explaining paraphilic (unconventional) sexualities online. Because paraphilics are members of highly concealable, horizontal and rare sexual minorities, they are pushed online by mainstream society. Online, paraphilics interact with similar others, and through lurking, re-learning and self-disclosing, may become sexually empowered. Clinical ramifications of attainment of positive sexual-social identity via empowerment are discussed, as are possible affects on public policy, doi: 10.1300/J082v51 n03_05 [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: KEYWORDS. Internet, paraphilia, push factors, lurking, re-learning, self disclosure, sexual empowerment, fetish, sexual minorities, social identity

As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, a total of 17,804 participants from 62 cultural regions completed the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), a self-report measure of adult romantic attachment. Correlational analyses within each culture suggested that the Model of Self and the Model of Other scales of the RQ were psychometrically valid within most cultures. Contrary to expectations, the Model of Self and Model of Other dimensions of the RQ did not underlie the four-category model of attachment in the same way across all cultures. Analyses of specific attachment styles revealed that secure romantic attachment was normative in 79% of cultures and that preoccupied romantic attachment was particularly prevalent in East Asian cultures. Finally, the romantic attachment profiles of individual nations were correlated with sociocultural indicators in ways that supported evolutionary theories of romantic attachment and basic human mating strategies. Keywords: romantic attachment; culture; internal working models; human mating strategies

Contrasts results of studies examining sex differences in intellectual functioning in the U.S. and Israel, in cities and on Kibbutzes. Findings indicate cross-cultural and intracultural influences challenge validity of theories that suggest a biological basis for sex differences in intellectual abilities. (SA)

Segregation in family work was explored by examining gender differences in the emotional meanings attached by individuals to both their own and their spouses’ performance of housework and childcare. Participants included 23 Israeli men and 38 women and an open-ended questionnaire was administered to them. Content analysis of the data uncovered emotional meanings that were divided into positive and negative personal and interpersonal outcomes. Personal outcomes revealed self-perceptions, personal feelings, and attitudes toward chores. Interpersonal outcomes revealed perceptions of marital relationships, as a result of messages transferred between spouses. The impact of gender segregation was more apparent in negative rather than in positive emotional outcomes. Women attached greater negative outcomes to housework and childcare. Positive and negative emotional outcomes were entwined with social and cultural norms. The results of the study suggest that the emotional experiences of family work should be viewed as complex cumulative psychological ones and should not be predefined by dichotomous emotional meanings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Concerns about the impact of online sexual activities (OSA) on work-life are drastically increasing. This study examined 3,466 respondents who reported OSA, 18.5% of whom reported engaging in OSA at work. They were compared with the 81.5% who engaged in OSA at home, on average time spent in OSA, workplace policies regarding OSA, and relationship status. Two themes were identified and discussed: opportunity and sexual distress. Our findings indicate that participants are cognizant of issues of opportunity (e.g., the OSA from home group was more likely to indicate their workplace has established policies regarding OSA), and privacy, representing an important aspect of this theme (e.g., participants engaging in OSA at work were found to be twice as likely to have extra-marital affairs, compared with the OSA from home group). Secondly, our data suggests that many participants, especially from the OSA at work group, experience OSA-related distress. Engaging in OSA at the workplace may result in decreased productivity, issues of sexual harassment, and concerns about employee well-being. Clearly stated and consistently enforced policies regulating OSA are likely to mitigate workplace OSA. However, a significant minority of employees may have difficulties curbing OSA. Therefore, more sophisticated strategies to deal with workplace OSA should be established. Additional implications of importance for organizations and mental health professionals who support them are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the influence of social inequalities to the sexual functioning of women in Israel. Details on the lack of sexual education and sexual health care among women; Information on the rights of women in obtaining abortion; Discussions on the field of sexology.

The association between sexual disorders and psychological functioning was investigated in this study. Seventy-eight subjects who applied for sex therapy were divided into the following groups: Sexual Desire (SDD) and Erectile Disorder; Orgasm (ORG) and Premature ejaculation (PME) disorders. Fifty-six sexually functional subjects served as matched controls. The MMPI was administered to all subjects. The results indicated that the SDD and Erectile groups produced the most disturbed profiles, while the ORG and PME groups yielded profiles within normal limit (WNL). A good fit of individual to group profiles was found fro SDD, but not for PME and ORG; thus, clinical interpretation was possible for the former only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on a study of the effects of sex, ethnicity, and social class on levels of test anxiety among adolescent students in Israel. Findings of significant sex differences in mean levels of test anxiety; Scores for pupils of low socioeconomic status; Belief that this study provides little support for the view that sociocultural or sex group differences in school achievement are due to differences in test anxiety.

SUMMARY The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of training mothers in operant conditioning techniques in comparison with other treatment procedures in improving the quantity of homework behavior. Forty-four boys and girls in grades 3 and 4 of two Israeli schools and their mothers participated in the program. Four treatment groups were compared: Operant--direct contingent intervention; Psychotherapy--indirect noncontingent intervention; Feedback; and Control. The Operant group was significantly more successful than the other groups in facilitating both quantity and quality of homework behavior. In addition, the Feedback group also showed improvement in homework behavior. These data provide support for the usefulness of training mothers within a group setting as behavioral managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the utility of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRE) in comparison with Cognitive Therapy (CT ) and with Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT)., Method: Subjects suffering from public speaking anxiety (PSA) were randomly allocated to VRE and CT , and received 12 therapy sessions, employing standardized treatment manuals. Outcome (questionnaires, observer and self ratings of a behavioral task) was compared to results of subjects in a previous study CBT and Wait List Controls who were not significantly different on demographic data., Results: CT was not superior to VRE on cognitive measures, but was superior to VRE on one behavioral measure (LSAS fear). VRE was superior to CT on one behavioral measure (fear reduction on a behavioral task). No differences were found between either CT , or VRE, and CBT and all were superior to WL., Limitations: Subject group was small and homogeneous. It appeared advisable to increase number of therapy sessions., Conclusions: VRE and CT proved to be equally effective to CBT in reducing PSA relative to a control group, with minimal differential effects between them. Therefore, employing either one may be satisfactory and sufficient.

As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 16,954 participants from 53 nations were administered an anonymous survey about experiences with romantic attraction. Mate poaching--romantically attracting someone who is already in a relationship--was most common in Southern Europe, South America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe and was relatively infrequent in Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Evolutionary and social-role hypotheses received empirical support. Men were more likely than women to report having made and succumbed to short-term poaching across all regions, but differences between men and women were often smaller in more gender-egalitarian regions. People who try to steal another's mate possess similar personality traits across all regions, as do those who frequently receive and succumb to the poaching attempts by others. The authors conclude that human mate-poaching experiences are universally linked to sex, culture, and the robust influence of personal dispositions.

Evolutionary psychologists have hypothesized that men and women possess both long-term and short-term mating strategies, with men's short-term strategy differentially rooted in the desire for sexual variety. In this article, findings from a cross-cultural survey of 16,288 people across 10 major world regions (including North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia) demonstrate that sex differences in the desire for sexual variety are culturally universal throughout these world regions. Sex differences were evident regardless of whether mean, median, distributional, or categorical indexes of sexual differentiation were evaluated. Sex differences were evident regardless of the measures used to evaluate them. Among contemporary theories of human mating, pluralistic approaches that hypothesize sex differences in the evolved design of short-term mating provide the most compelling account of these robust empirical findings.