Through the looking glass: Ethnic and generational patterns of immigrant identity

Traditional theories of the “looking glass self” and “social mirroring” assume that people's views of their own group reflect the societal view. Crocker and colleagues (Crocker, J., Luhtanen, R., Blaine, B., & Brodnax, S. (1994). Collective self-esteem and psychological well-being among white, black, and Asian college students. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20, 503–513), however, found ethnic group differences in the extent to which private and public views correspond. We report data from two studies that further examine this correspondence in (a) a sample of first- and second-generation Black immigrants and (b) samples of first- and second-generation Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Latino, and White immigrants. Study 1 shows significant shifts for Black immigrants, from a high correlation between public and private regard in the first generation to a non-significant relationship in the second generation. Study 2 replicates the findings for the Black sample and shows different patterns of association for the other three groups. It also shows that endorsement of multiculturalism moderates the relationship between public and private regard among first generation Black and Latino immigrants. We discuss these results in terms of managing the negative value associated with one's group in society and consider immigration as a site for studying social change.     

Educational psychotherapy: an approach to working with children whose learning is impeded by emotional problems

This article describes the theory and practice of educational psychotherapy, an approach to working with children whose learning is hindered by emotional problems. The theoretical foundations in the work of Irene Caspari, Wilfred Bion, Melanie Klein, John Bowlby and D. W. Winnicott are outlined, and the approach is exemplified in two short case studies. The application of this approach in therapeutic story groups is briefly described. The article concludes with some comments on the potential for, and constraints facing, the introduction of educational psychotherapy in schools.     

Factors related to the reporting of childhood rape.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine whether there would be differences in reported versus unreported cases of childhood rape on incident characteristics including life threat, physical injury, identity of the perpetrator, frequency of assault(s), and rates of posttraumatic stress disorder or major depression. METHOD: In a telephone interview, a national probability sample of 4,008 (weighted) adult women was screened for a history of completed rape in childhood. Respondents were also assessed for DSM-III-R diagnoses of major depressive episode and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Three hundred forty-one (8.5%) of these women were victims of at least one rape prior to the age of 18, for a total of 437 completed rapes. Of these 437 rape incidents, 52 (11.9%) were reported to the police or other authorities. RESULTS: Significant differences were obtained between reported versus nonreported cases on incident characteristics, including life threat, physical injury, identity of the perpetrator. Reported cases were more likely to involve life threat and/or physical injury, and were more likely to have been committed by a stranger than nonreported cases. No significant differences between reported and nonreported cases were found concerning whether the rape involved a single incident versus series of events, or rates of PTSD or major depression. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that different characteristics are associated with reported versus unreported cases of childhood rape. Since few cases of childhood rape are actually reported to the authorities, it appears that we may be missing valuable information. Implications for research and clinical intervention are discussed.     

An Education in Narratives

Abstract

I argue for a broad education in narratives as a way to address several problems found in moral psychology and social cognition. First, an education in narratives will address a common problem of narrowness or lack of diversity, shared by virtue ethics and the simulation theory of social cognition. Secondly, it also solves the ‘starting problem’ involved in the simulation approach. These discussions also relate directly to theories of empathy with special significance given to situational empathy.     

Moving through the Faculty Ranks: An Exploratory Study on the Perceived Importance of Book Publishing and Publishing in Peer‐Reviewed Journals in Criminology/Criminal Justice

This research explored the perceptions of members (N = 454) from two national criminology/criminal justice organizations regarding the significance of book publications and publishing peer‐reviewed journal articles for tenure and promotion. The research revealed the sentiment that journal article publications were perceived to be important publications when it came to promotion to both the associate and full professor ranks. More specifically, white faculty, those employed at research institutions, held a doctorate, and had considerable journal article publications, felt peer‐reviewed articles were important for tenure and promotion. The authors close by arguing that tenure and promotion committees should be open to book publications.     

Effects of employing ridge regression in structural equation models

LISREL 8 invokes a ridge option when maximum likelihood or generalized least squares are used to estimate a structural equation model with a nonpositive definite covariance or correlation matrix. The implications of the ridge option for model fit statistics, parameter estimates, and standard errors are explored through the use of 2 examples. The results indicate that maximum likelihood estimates are quite stable with the ridge option, though fit statistics and standard errors vary considerably and therefore cannot be trusted. As a result of these findings, the application of the ridge method to structural equation models is not recommended.