I-Ching Lee

Social dominance in context and in individuals: Contextual moderation of robust effects of social dominance orientation in 15 languages and 20 countries.

We tested the internal reliability and predictive validity of a new 4-item Short Social Dominance Orientation (SSDO) scale among adults in 20 countries, using 15 languages (N = 2,130). Low scores indicate preferring group inclusion and equality to dominance. As expected, cross-nationally, the lower people were on SSDO, the more they endorsed more women in leadership positions, protecting minorities, and aid to the poor. Multilevel moderation models showed that each effect was stronger in nations where a relevant kind of group power differentiation was more salient. Distributions of SSDO were positively skewed, despite use of an extended response scale; results show rejecting group hierarchy is normative. The short scale is effective. Challenges regarding translations, use of short scales, and intersections between individual and collective levels in social dominance theory are discussed.

Intergroup consensus/disagreement in support of group-based hierarchy: an examination of socio-structural and psycho-cultural factors.

A meta-analysis examined the extent to which socio-structural and psycho-cultural characteristics of societies correspond with how much gender and ethnic/racial groups differ on their support of group-based hierarchy. Robustly, women opposed group-based hierarchy more than men did, and members of lower power ethnic/racial groups opposed group-based hierarchy more than members of higher power ethnic/racial groups did. As predicted by social dominance theory, gender differences were larger, more stable, and less variable from sample to sample than differences between ethnic/racial groups. Subordinate gender and ethnic/racial group members disagreed more with dominants in their views of group-based hierarchy in societies that can be considered more liberal and modern (e.g., emphasizing individualism and change from traditions), as well as in societies that enjoyed greater gender equality. The relations between gender and ethnic/racial groups are discussed, and implications are developed for social dominance theory, social role theory, biosocial theory, social identity theory, system justification theory, realistic group conflict theory, and relative deprivation theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

STEREOTYPES ABOUT PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV: IMPLICATIONS FOR PERCEPTIONS OF HIV RISK AND TESTING FREQUENCY AMONG AT-RISK POPULATIONS

Although research continues to demonstrate that HIV stigma is associated with decreased HIV testing, the psychological processes implicated in this association remain unclear. The authors address this gap by differentiating between the HIV stigma mechanisms of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. They hypothesize that HIV stereotypes specifically, more so than prejudice or discrimination, are associated with HIV testing among at-risk populations. Ninety-three HIV-negative people receiving methadone maintenance therapy at a clinic in the northeastern United States participated by completing a survey. Results demonstrated that HIV stereotypes are associated with HIV testing via the mediator of perceived HIV risk. As hypothesized, prejudice, discrimination, and objective HIV risk were not associated with perceived HIV risk. Differentiating between HIV stigma mechanisms in future work can provide critical insight into how to intervene in HIV stigma to increase HIV testing and improve HIV prevention among at-risk populations.

Lesbians and Bisexual Women in the Eyes of Scientific Psychology

Social science research has contributed to the destigmatization of homosexuality which, in turn, has affected the topics researchers choose to study. We examined psychological research that focused on lesbians and bisexual women from 1975 to 2001 to determine if the frequency and content of this research reflect the increasingly positive view of sexual minorities in society. The results indicate that non-heterosexual people were included in less than 1 percent of published research, and lesbians and bisexual women were significantly less likely to be studied than gay and bisexual men. Content analysis of 533 abstracts followed by cluster analysis of 520 abstracts revealed four conceptual frameworks that characterized this body of research: Gender Identity, Attitudes towards Lesbians, Lesbians as Problems, and Life in Heterosexist Society. Together, changes over time in the quantity and emphasis of research shed light on how lesbianism and bisexuality have been constructed in psychological studies and highlight the politics of lesbian-bisexual visibility.

Testing an Optimized Community-Based Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Risk Reduction and Antiretroviral Adherence Intervention for HIV-Infected Injection Drug Users

The authors conducted a preliminary study of the 4-session Holistic Health for HIV (3H+), which was adapted from a 12-session evidence-based risk reduction and antiretroviral adherence intervention. Improvements were found in the behavioral skills required to properly adhere to HIV medication regimens. Enhancements were found in all measured aspects of sex-risk reduction outcomes, including HIV knowledge, motivation to reduce sex-risk behavior, behavioral skills related to engaging in reduced sexual risk, and reduced risk behavior. Improvements in drug use outcomes included enhancements in risk reduction skills as well as reduced heroin and cocaine use. Intervention effects also showed durability from post-intervention to the follow-up assessment point. Females responded particularly well in terms of improvements in risk reduction skills and risk behavior. This study suggests that an evidence-based behavioral intervention may be successfully adapted for use in community-based clinical settings where HIV-infected drug users can be more efficiently reached.

Testing an optimized community-based HIV risk reduction and antiretroviral adherence intervention for HIV-infected injection drug users

The authors conducted a preliminary study of the 4-session Holistic Health for HIV (3H+), which was adapted from a 12-session evidence-based risk reduction and antiretroviral adherence intervention. Improvements were found in the behavioral skills required to properly adhere to HIV medication regimens. Enhancements were found in all measured aspects of sex-risk reduction outcomes, including HIV knowledge, motivation to reduce sex-risk behavior, behavioral skills related to engaging in reduced sexual risk, and reduced risk behavior. Improvements in drug use outcomes included enhancements in risk reduction skills as well as reduced heroin and cocaine use. Intervention effects also showed durability from post-intervention to the follow-up assessment point. Females responded particularly well in terms of improvements in risk reduction skills and risk behavior. This study suggests that an evidence-based behavioral intervention may be successfully adapted for use in community-based clinical settings where HIV-infected drug users can be more efficiently reached.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Community-Friendly Health Recovery Program (CHRP) Among High-Risk Drug Users in Treatment

Existing evidence-based HIV risk reduction interventions have not been designed for implementation within clinical settings, such as methadone maintenance programs, where many high-risk drug users seek treatment services. We therefore systematically developed an adapted, significantly shortened, version of a comprehensive evidence-based intervention called the Community-friendly Health Recovery Program (CHRP) which has demonstrated preliminary evidence of efficacy in a feasibility/acceptability study already published. In a randomized controlled trial reported here, we tested the efficacy of the CHRP intervention among high-risk drug users newly enrolled in drug treatment at an inner-city methadone maintenance program. The CHRP intervention produced improvements in drug risk reduction knowledge as well as demonstrated sex- and drug-risk reduction skills. Support was found for the IMB model of health behavior change. Implications for future intervention research and practice are considered.ResumenIntervenciones riesgo del VIH existentes reducción del basada en la evidencia no han sido diseñadas para aplicación en contextos clínicos, tales como programas de mantenimiento con metadona, donde muchos usuarios de drogas de alto riesgo buscan servicios de tratamiento. Por lo tanto desarrollamos sistemáticamente una versión adaptada, acortada significativamente, de una intervención integral basada en la evidencia llamada la comunidad ambiente salud recuperación programa (CHRP) que ha demostrado la evidencia preliminar de eficacia en un estudio de viabilidad/aceptabilidad ya publicado. En un ensayo controlado aleatorio (ECA) divulgado aquí, hemos probado la eficacia de la intervención CHRP entre usuarios de drogas de altoriesgo recién matriculados en el tratamiento de drogas en un programa de mantenimiento con metadona del centro de la ciudad. La intervención CHRP produjeron mejorías en el conocimiento de reducción de riesgo de drogas así como había demostrado capacidades de reducción de riesgo de sexo y drogas. Apoyo encontró para el modelo IMB de cambio de comportamiento de salud. Implicaciones para futuras intervenciones investigación y la práctica se consideran.

Examining the decay of HIV risk reduction outcomes following a community-friendly intervention targeting injection drug users in treatment.

Abstract It has become crucial for risk reduction interventions targeting injection drug users (IDUs) in treatment to be “community-friendly” and potent over time so that limited resources may be optimally utilized. This study examined (I) the extent to which observed post-intervention effects—including enhanced HIV-related knowledge, motivation, behavioral skills, and drug- and sex-risk reduction behavior-decayed over time and (2) whether repeating theintervention at follow-up provided additional benefit. Approximately 10 months after completing an adapted, substantially shortened, version of an evidence-based intervention, participants completed a follow-up assessment and then repeated the intervention. No evidence of decay was found. Even so, after repeating the intervention, a trend toward additional sex-risk reduction was observed for participants at higher risk for HIV. Findings point to the potential for an adapted evidence-based intervention for IDUs to be both community-friendly and potent over time within community-based treatment settings.

Filial ethics and judgments of filial behaviour in Taiwan and the United States

Parent-child relationships are fundamental human relationships in which specific norms govern proper parent-child interactions. Such norms, or filial ethics, have been observed in different cultures, including in the United States and Taiwan, but important differences may exist in how filial practices are viewed across cultures. From a traditional view of power as domination over others, if filial relationships are viewed to reflect power differentials between parents and children, actors who follow filial ethics should be viewed as less powerful than actors who do not follow filial ethics for maintaining or enhancing positive parent-child relationships. Alternatively, power can be conceptualized as the ability to meet ones needs (e.g., for communal care and trust), and actors who follow filial ethics should be viewed as more powerful and trustworthy than actors who do not follow filial ethics because they have the ability to maintain or enhance positive parent-child relationships. Based on a power-trust model, we compared American and Taiwanese perceptions of actors in an experiment using vignettes describing filial behaviours. We conducted a path analysis with a sample of 112 American and 74 Taiwanese participants to test the proposed relations. Results showed that both Taiwanese and Americans rated actors more favourably (i.e., as more powerful and trustworthy) when actors behaved according to filial ethics than when they did not. Some cross-cultural differences were also observed: Taiwanese attributed trust-traits to actors who performed filial practices to a larger degree than did Americans. We discuss implications for the implicit nature of filial relationships and conceptualization of power cross-culturally.

Changing Boundaries of Ethnic Identity and Feelings Toward Ingroup/ Outgroup: Examining Taiwan Residents From a Psycho-Historical Perspective

Subjective group identification may not always be based on common biological origins or group salience, but rather, due to changes in group power. The present cross-temporal meta-analysis documents the transformation of Taiwan residents’ identification as both Taiwanese and Chinese during recent decades, in which the legitimacy of Chinese power over Taiwan was changed. The relations between identification and feelings toward Taiwanese and Chinese were also examined. Results suggest that historical memories and the political ascendancy of Taiwanese culture, rather than relative size of groups, increased identification with Taiwanese over Chinese. Historical and ethnic differences are compared to address ingroup favoritism, outgroup derogation, and other issues in social identity theory.