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Examines the relationship between science knowledge and pseudoscientific beliefs. Uses a survey method in the study and investigates paranormal beliefs as a whole. Concludes that strong scientific knowledge does not prevent a person from having pseudoscientific beliefs. (Contains 14 references.) (YDS)

This study focused on the effects of parenting styles, as perceived by the college student, on drinking behaviors. A total of 36 students between the ages of 18 and 34 were recruited from a small liberal-arts college. Four surveys were counterbalanced and administered: 1) Perceived Parenting Styles, 2) Drinking Behaviors, 3) Mental Health, and 4) Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL). Findings showed that problem drinking was strongly correlated with mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, hostility, and confusion. Parental trust and support were shown to be correlated to mental health, and there was a significant association between problem drinking and parental trust and rules. These findings suggest that perceived parenting styles impact later socioemotional functioning and drinking behaviors. Therefore, future research is warranted on the topic, particularly as it relates to how individuals perceive parenting styles, the degree of subsequent risk-taking behaviors, and how these may differ on larger campuses. Targeting parents with education and early intervention should be explored while also accounting for implications, such as early environmental stressors, whether or not mental health concerns are predecessors or sequelae of perceived parenting styles, and how the order of events may impact subsequent drinking behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the relationships between mental models of attachment and both overall psychological adjustment and relationship-related outcomes. Mental models were assessed in the context of a specific relationship as well as for people in general. Overall, partner-specific mental models had stronger and more numerous associations with the outcome variables than did general mental models. General models (especially model of self) were most strongly associated with measures of overall psychological adjustment. However, specific mental models were much more strongly associated with relationship-specific outcomes such as feelings of romantic love or relationship satisfaction than were general mental models. Self-esteem was more strongly related to global psychological adjustment than was model of self, but specific model of self was more strongly related to outcomes in relationships. Trust was not related to any of the dependent variables in the study.

Two autobiographical memory studies were conducted to better understand the social experience and memory for watching romantic movies on a date. In both studies, participants were primarily middle-class, White, young adults, who (a) recalled the experience of watching a romantic movie they had seen on a date and (b) were assessed for levels of sex-role traditionality and 4 kinds of dispositional empathy. Participants also reported with whom they watched the movie, who chose it, and the cognitions and emotions experienced during viewing. Finally, a fantasy measure asked participants to choose the types of scenes in which they and their dates might like to ‘stand in’ for a character in the film. Results indicated that women more often than men selected the movie and liked it more, but, despite common stereotypes, men also reported favorable ratings for romantic movies seen on a date. However, both men and women thought that ‘most men’ would not like the movie. On the fantasy measure, women underestimated men's preference for appearing in scenes of romance. For multiple measures, participants fell back on gender stereotyping when estimating what people in general, especially men, would like. Study 2 replicated Study 1 (N = 265) with a sample of 45 dating couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information disclosed by professors in class could have potentially positive or negative effects on instructor–student rapport, student perceptions of the professor, student engagement in the class, and student learning.This study measured both perceptions of professor self-disclosure and the relationship between self-disclosure and students’ recall of information.Psychology students viewed a short video lecture in which a professor used different examples to illustrate an operant conditioning concept, including a personal self-disclosure of gambling addiction. This between-groups design used four videos featuring one of four examples: (a) personal gambling addiction, (b) cousin with gambling addition, (c) dog training, and (d) control with no self-disclosure. Participants rated the professor and answered questions about the content of the lecture.Students rated the self-disclosing professor significantly higher on the Generalized Anxiety Stigma Scale, demonstrating more stigma towards the professor who self-disclosed her gambling addiction. Student recall of lecture content was not significantly different between conditions.These data suggest that self-disclosure of addiction may negatively impact how students perceive a professor but does not influence memory for lecture content.Instructors may want to consider student perceptions before self-disclosing information about personal conditions such as addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]