Colby J. Stoever

Variables associated with intimate partner violence in a deploying military sample

Variables associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) were examined within a sample of military personnel preparing to deploy. Soldiers with intimate relationships processed for mobilization through Fort Bliss, Texas, completed a questionnaire that queried demographic information, relationship satisfaction, stress, risky alcohol use behaviors, and tactics used during intimate relationship conflict. Four hundred forty-nine deploying soldiers (15.8% of 2,841 with usable data) reported IPV in the past year. Younger age, less education, less relationship satisfaction, more stress, and risky alcohol use behaviors were significant individual predictors of engaging in IPV. The results of this study are discussed in terms of their implications for targeting efforts to reduce IPV among military personnel.

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men (ATLG) Measure

Abstract The Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay men (ATLG; Herek, 1988) hypothesizes that individuals can have feelings of sexual prejudice toward gay men and lesbians. No research has confirmed the hypothesized factor structure of the ATLG. This study tested four possible factor structures for the ATLG. Results indicate that the hierarchical factor model provided a good description of the ATLG items. A measure of total sexual prejudice was derived. From the hierarchical structure, a measure representing the difference in sexual prejudice toward gay men and lesbians was also computed. Increased religious involvement and the etiology of homosexuality were statistical predictors of overall sexual prejudice, while decreased religious involvement and gender were statistical predictors of differential sexual prejudice toward gay men.

Predictors of aversive alcohol consequences in a military sample

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of risky alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences among postdeployment soldiers. Demobilizing soldiers completed an assessment packet that included questions about demographic factors, relationships, stress, and alcohol-related consequences. Significant predictors of greater alcohol-related consequences, as assessed with the CAGE questionnaire, included fewer years of formal education, male gender, not being in an intimate relationship, racial/ethnic minority status, enlisted rank, having been deployed to the continental United States, and greater stress, whereas significant predictors of drinking and driving included male gender, not being in an intimate relationship, and greater stress. Identifying the predictors of alcohol consequences that occur upon demobilization may aid in determining which soldiers are at risk for such consequences before deployment and may help to maintain military readiness.

Neurocognitive Underpinnings of Face Perception: Further Evidence of Distinct Person and Group Perception Processes

A model of social perception is presented and tested. The model is based on cognitive neuroscience models and proposes that the right cerebral hemisphere is more efficient at processing combinations of features whereas the left hemisphere is superior at identifying single features. These processes are hypothesized to produce person and group-based representations, respectively. Individuating or personalizing experience with an outgroup member was expected to facilitate the perception of the individuating features and inhibit the perception of the group features. In the presented study, participants were asked to learn about various ingroup and outgroup targets. Later, participants demonstrated that categorization response speeds to old targets were slower in the left hemisphere than in the right, particularly for outgroup members, as predicted. These findings are discussed for their relevance to models of social perception and stereotyping.

Assessing a smoking cessation intervention for veterans in substance use disorder treatment

ObjectivesThis pilot study assessed the impact of a 1-time motivationally based psychoeducational tobacco cessation intervention during substance use disorder treatment on use of subsequent smoking cessation services. MethodsParticipants were 89 veterans in substance use disorder treatment who attended the smoking cessation orientation group. Participants took part in a multimedia psychoeducational group designed to provide veterans education about and motivation to seek subsequent tobacco cessation services. Measures included a self-report survey of demographics, substance use, mental health, tobacco use and cessation, and attendance to tobacco cessation services. ResultsResults indicated that 86.5% of participants used tobacco and on average were heavily nicotine dependent. Fifty-seven percent of tobacco users used follow-up cessation services. Logistic regression indicated that utilization of cessation services was associated with desiring to quit smoking for health purposes and personal choice, history of psychotic disorder, and previous use of nicotine replacement. ConclusionsA 1-time intervention with veterans in substance use disorder treatment can increase motivation to seek subsequent tobacco cessation services, providing an avenue for reducing tobacco use in this population.