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The present study examined relations between Theory of Mind (ToM) understanding and social competence among school-age Latino children. Participants included 62 children ages 6-12 years. Picture vocabulary was assessed via a standardized language survey, and ToM assessed via Happé's [(1994). An advanced test of theory of mind: Understanding of story characters' thoughts and feelings by able autistic, mentally handicapped and normal children and adults. "Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders," 24, 129-154. doi:10.1007/BF021720931994] advanced ToM tasks. Parents and teachers evaluated the child's social skills using a 23 item social competence inventory consisting of one positive and two forms of negative behaviours: relational aggression and overt hostility. Results indicated that girls scored significantly higher on positive social behaviour compared to boys. Overall, positive associations were found between children's ToM ability and positive (but not negative) social behaviour. Results and implications about the socioemotional processes underlying ToM development are discussed.

Originality is a necessary part of creativity, but creative things are more than just original. They also solve a problem, or more generally are somehow fitting or appropriate. Yet previous research found an inverse relationship between ratings of originality and ratings of appropriateness. The present investigation employed a different methodology--it focused on the generation of ideas instead of judgments about them--to reexamine the relationships between originality, appropriateness, and creativity. Undergraduate students (N = 170) from two large universities received either realistic or unrealistic divergent thinking tasks. These were given with one of four types of instructions. These asked them to give (a) as many ideas as possible (which is the standard type of instruction for these kinds of tests), (b) only original ideas, (c) only appropriate ideas, or (d) only creative ideas. Brief definitions of originality, appropriateness, or creativity were also provided. Comparisons of the four groups indicated that there were significant differences between the different kinds of tasks, with the realistic set eliciting more appropriate ideas than the unrealistic, but the unrealistic tasks eliciting more original and varied (flexible) ideas. There was an interaction indicating that the magnitude of the impact of the instructions varied across tasks. Correlational analyses indicated that the correlation between the originality and appropriateness scores was the lowest among all possible inter-index relationships (only 7% shared variance). Future research and practical implications are explored. (Contains 2 tables.)

Compared attitudes toward military and civilian jobs among adolescents (n=306). African Americans and Hispanics, but not Asian Americans, had more favorable attitude toward military service than did whites; males viewed military service more favorably than did females. Respondents saw military service as patriotic and providing leadership training; civilian jobs as allowing for more freedom and being more enjoyable. (Author/NB)

Abstract Sexual attitudes were studied in 126 university students, at a Hispanic-serving university in the Rio Grande Valley, in Texas, near the Mexican border. Males and females rated their level [...]

INTRODUCTION Grade Inflation is a serious problem in American schools and universities. Grade inflation can be documented to be a serious problem both in high school and in college. Regarding [...]

Introduction Video games are a major part of the culture of the United States and of many other countries throughout the world. Play is a natural human phenomenon, that leads [...]

Several studies have looked at sexual behavior of Hispanics (Dantzker & Eisenman, in press; Erkut, Szalacha, Coll, & Alarcon, 2000; Espin, 2003; Fierros & Brown, 2002; Flores, 1992; Pesa & [...]

Contrary to what some of its opponents claim, evolutionary psychology is not mere speculation, or 'just so' stories which are incapable of being tested. Many believe these critiques. In fact, [...]

An important area for study is ovulation (Atwood, James, Keil, Roberts, & Hartmann, P.E. 1991; Biel-Casals, 1968; Chearskul & Visutakul, 1994; Freundl, Bremme, Frank-Hermann, Baur, Godehardt, & Sottong, 1996), including [...]

The Prisoners As Phelan (2002) has pointed out, psychotherapists can, in some instances, receive vicarious traumatization, as a result of the kinds of clients they work with. Others have also [...]

Throughout history, humans have engaged in methods to change, temporarily, their consciousness. Children spin around, inducing an apparently pleasant state of dizziness. Adolescents and adults will sometimes use drugs, either [...]

There is a very revealing article by Trout (1994), 'Second Thoughts on Sexual Harassment. 'Here, I contribute some of my own insights, based on case studies I have done at [...]

Introduction A major aspect of creativity is risk taking (Agarwal & Kumari, 1982; Douglas, 1994; Eisenman, 1987; Jeffrey, 1988; Kogan & Wallach, 1983; National Academy of Engineering Staff, 1995; Sulloway, [...]

Introduction Humans have evolved mate seeking strategies that lead to their genes being transmitted to future generations. But, why do some engage in deviant sexual behavior, such as rapists and [...]

Research is presented comparing assignment of health and academic services between Caucasian children and African American children from the first through the fourth grades, in a medium-sized Southern city. Overall findings showed that African American children were viewed as having health and academic problems more often than their Caucasian counterparts. Topics include the effects of liberal and conservative political policies, use of stereotypes, and the socioeconomic damage brought about by profiling.

Comments on Robinson and Gross's article on perceptions of ethics among mental health counselors. Argues researcher needs to discuss findings, regardless of what path it may lead down. Three explanations are given as possible reasons for their findings, two avoiding gender stereotypes in whole or in part. (Author/ABL)

Statistics show that people of black origin in the United States have a higher arrest rate than the white Americans. There have been suggestions for ethnic quotas in death sentences to counter arbitrary arrests made by the police. There does appear to be evidence that African-Americans do commit more crimes that Americans of other races, despite the potential for higher rates of law enforcement against African-Americans.

INTRODUCTION When it comes to crime, both the discourse about criminals and the ensuing policy are confused. This essay attempts to show what is happening and to clarify some of [...]

Three measures of creativity were used with 40 students ages 10-13 years in a private school. The students were in grades 5-8. They were given the following creativity measures: Eisenman's Personal Opinion Survey, which measures creative attitudes; polygons, differing in complexity-simplicity; and an Unusual Uses measure. The greatest creativity was found to be in first born males and in later born females, which is consistent with theory and previous empirical findings with adults or with college students (Eisenman, 1991b)., Previous studies have suggested that while first borns may be higher in creativity among males, the finding is reversed for females, with later borns being the highest in creativity (Eisenman, [...]

The entire population of inmates in a prison treatment program for youthful male offenders was studied (N = 43). Based on information from individual and group psychotherapy and from official files, and verified with another therapist, the following was found to be true for more than 50% of the offenders: they had anti-social, anti-authority values; did not know how to be anything other than be a criminal; had been subjected to physical, psychological or sexual abuse, usually by a family member; were members of a minority group, i.e., black or Hispanic; and these were gang members. Whites were less likely to be gang members, but those who were tended to be Skinheads or Stoners. The findings can be used to help professionals understand and work with inmates to alter their criminal lifestyle., For close to two years I worked as Senior Clinical Psychologist in a California state prison treatment program for youthful male offenders. Duties included individual and group therapy and writing [...]

The attitudes of 211 students at a university in Mississippi were investigated both before and after seeing the Public Broadcasting Film Who Is David Duke? The film provided evidence of Duke's current racism, anti-Semitism, and pro-Nazi leanings. In a previous study with university students in Louisiana, the majority did not change their attitudes after watching the film (Eisenman, 1993). However, in the present study, students' attitudes showed change in an anti-Duke direction. The findings are discussed and reasons given for the differences between the two samples, and for the popularity of Duke, a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan., David Duke is one of the most interesting social and political phenomenons of recent times. A former head of the Ku Klux Klan and a former Nazi sympathizer, he has [...]

A nation-wide survey of 47,000 households showed that drugs are just as available outside inner city schools as they are available to inner city school children. In fact, the greatest reported availability was in nonmetropolitan areas. Contrary to what might be expected based on media stereotypes, it is wealthy, non-Hispanic whites who reported the greatest availability of drugs in their schools. Some of the differences are small, suggesting that drugs may be equally available to students anywhere. A case history is presented showing the operation of these findings with a 16-year old high school girl, and the intervention taken to help her overome her drug dependence on the designer drug Ecstasy., What are the characteristics of students who find drugs available in the primary and secondary schools? This is an important question and, fortunately, there is information available, although most people [...]

Sex education is allowed but not required in Louisiana. It is taught at the discretion of local school districts as mandated in the Local Option Sex Education Statute, Act 480. HIV/AIDS education is also optional and may be taught without incorporating sex education policies. In the present study, a survey of ninety-eight public and private schools in Louisiana was conducted to determine, among other things, the effects of sex education on HIV/AIDS instruction. Most of the responding schools reported limited HIV/AIDS instruction. Those school districts that opted to teach sex education covered more content. Units on AIDS were most often presented in science or health classes. For the majority of schools, in-service workshops for teachers and administrators were not provided. Schools with predominantly minority enrollments were less likely to devote time to HIV/AIDS education. Recommendations are made, and include (1) the adoption of local option sex education policies, (2) increased access to instructional resources (i.e., text materials and in-service workshops for teachers), and (3) increased emphasis on HIV/AIDS education in predominantly minority schools.

Education majors often score low on achievement tests relative to other academic majors. Some believe that education professors grade in an easy fashion. To test the validity of this belief, grades for 8119 students registered in lower and upper division undergraduate classes and in graduate classes were examined for education and noneducation courses. Students in education classes received, by far, the better grades, relative to students taking classes in psychology, nursing, or office systems and business communication. Interesting explanations are discussed in this article., Several studies have been completed that looked at teacher education and teacher standards (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1991; Goodlad, Soder, & Sirotnik, 1990; Grossman, 1990; Harthern & [...]

This study of 306 youths compared the attitudes toward military and civilian jobs among blacks, Hispanics, whites, and Asian-Americans, and for males versus females. Results indicated that blacks and Hispanics, but not Asian-Americans, had a more favorable attitude toward military service than did whites, and males viewed military service more favorably than did females. Military service was seen as patriotic and providing leadership training, while civilian jobs were seen as allowing for more freedom and being more enjoyable.

Perceptions by 25 liberals and 25 conservatives of the fairness-unfairness of local, state, and federal governments were studied. Conservatives believed that the federal government favors minorities, while liberals believed that all levels of government favor economic elites. Conservatives saw the federal government as least fair, while liberals saw local government as least fair. Both liberals and conservatives tended to see local government as influencible but the federal government as not changeable.

Based on close to two years as Senior Clinical Psychologist in a prison treatment program, the author presents six problems which he faced. These issues would likely characterize most prisons. They are authoritarianism, immediate supervisor, hostile environment, limited rewards, security vs treatment, and physical danger. Among the many examples is the case in which a supervisor ordered the psychologist to change his test re[prt. thereby demanding unethical behavior.

Zimring, Francis E. The Great American Crime Decline. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. xiv + 258 pages. Cloth, $29.95. An amazing thing happened in the United States in the [...]