Lane Fischer

Intrinsic Religiousness and Spiritual Well-Being as Predictors of Treatment Outcome Among Women with Eating Disorders

This study investigated the relationship of religious orientation, religious affiliation, and spiritual well-being with treatment outcomes in an eating disorder inpatient treatment program. Participants were 251 women diagnosed with an eating disorder. Gain scores on the Eating Attitudes Test, Body Shape Questionnaire, Outcome Questionnaire 45.2, and therapist improvement ratings were used as outcome measures. Multiple regression analyses revealed that neither intrinsic religiousness nor religious affiliation were associated with treatment outcomes. Pearson correlations revealed that improvements in spiritual well-being during treatment were significantly associated with positive gains in eating attitudes, less body shape concerns, and positive psychological and social functioning.

Assessment of juvenile sexual offenders: reliability and validity of the Abel Assessment for Interest in Paraphilias.

Empirical tests of the reliability and validity of the Abel Assessment for Interest in Paraphilias (AAIP) as used with juvenile sexual offenders were performed. Test–retest reliability, screening validity, and diagnostic validity were assessed using several analytical approaches. The temporal stability, sensitivity, and specificity of the AAIP as used with adolescents in residential and day treatment were not demonstrated. The results indicate the need for further refinement of the AAIP.

Statistical adequacy of the Abel Assessment for Interest in Paraphilias.

A review of the psychometric properties of the Abel Assessment for Interest in Paraphilias (AAIP) is presented. The data supporting the AAIPs history, purpose, data, reliability, validity, and norms are reported, with the conclusion that its use with adults is tenuous at best and its use with adolescents is as yet unsupported. Pragmatic concerns are noted, along with recommendations for further research.

The Impact of Open Textbooks on Secondary Science Learning Outcomes

Given the increasing costs associated with commercial textbooks and decreasing financial support of public schools, it is important to better understand the impacts of open educational resources on student outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative study is to analyze whether the adoption of open science textbooks significantly affects science learning outcomes for secondary students in earth systems, chemistry, and physics. This study uses a quantitative quasi-experimental design with propensity score matched groups and multiple regression to examine whether student learning was influenced by the adoption of open textbooks instead of traditional publisher-produced textbooks. Students who used open textbooks scored .65 points higher on end-of-year state standardized science tests than students using traditional textbooks when controlling for the effects of 10 student and teacher covariates. Further analysis revealed statistically significant positive gains for students using the open chemistry textbooks, with no significant difference in student scores for earth systems of physics courses. Although the effect size of the gains were relatively small, and not consistent across all textbooks, the finding that open textbooks can be as effective or even slightly more effective than their traditional counterparts has important considerations in terms of school district policy in a climate of finite educational funding.

Religion and Guilt in Childhood

Publisher Summary This chapter explores reasons for the neglect of religion in theoretical and empirical work in psychology. It points out that, contrary to prevailing theoretical tenets, religiosity is not necessarily related to poor mental health and worse socio-emotional well-being and argues for more refined definitions, and measurement of both religion and guilt. Empirical evidence indicates that intrinsic religiosity is associated with a healthy guilt response to actual wrongdoing and to good physical health and lowered rates of substance abuse, delinquency, and suicidality. The review of guilt and religion in children includes the consideration of the role of development. There are three stages of religious understanding in development that closely parallel Piagets stages of cognitive development. During Stage 1, children are quite undifferentiated in their identification with institutional religion and in their personal experience with prayer. Stage 2 evidences greater cognitive awareness and parallels Piagets concrete operational stage. Children can identify themselves and others as being of different religions because of concrete outward manifestations of such. Prayer is identified by the actual behaviors associated with praying, whatever those cultural forms might be. Stage 3 parallels the emergence of Piagets formal operational stage. At this stage children disavow religious identity by outward forms, but define themselves and others according to abstractions of inner belief. Prayer becomes an inner mental function that is private and intimate and not so dependent on outward form.

Acculturation experiences of Chinese international students who attend American universities.

Given the increasing number of Chinese international students attending American universities, it is important to consider potential problems arising during their initial transition period, and their experiences acculturating into the American culture and educational system. Thirteen Chinese international students participated in qualitative interviews conducted in participant’s native language, Mandarin Chinese. Data analysis followed the hermeneutic circle. Based on their personal perspectives, participants reported their experiences encountered during their initial transition into the U.S. They described how they made sense of their experiences and how their ways of thinking and behaving changed as a result of being influenced by their experiences interfacing with U.S. culture. Participants also shared their strategies they perceived as helpful in specific situations. Based on an analysis of participants’ interviews, emerging themes included (a) difficulties and challenges they faced as new immigrants, (b) differences they encountered with respect to their homeland and the new environment, including language/communication, culture, academic study and learning, living in the U.S., and psychological adjustments, (c) positive growth they acknowledged from facing challenges and adapting to their new environment, and (d) help they received from a variety of individuals and organizations. Additionally, participants offered suggestions to future Chinese international students, emphasizing the importance of more proactively seeking and receiving assistance. Implications for American universities, including counseling centers, to more actively assist and include Chinese international students are also discussed. An increased understanding of and sensitivity to international students’ challenges will help professionals strengthen outreach services.

An Examination of the Factor Structure of the Trauma Inventory for Partners of Sex Addicts (TIPSA)

ABSTRACT The Trauma Inventory for Partners of Sex Addicts (TIPSA) was hypothesized to have a latent factor structure that mirrors the core criteria for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Data were gathered from 3,199 self-selected respondents, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed in order to substantiate the hypothesized structure. Several modifications were made to the model, based on factor loadings and modification indices, in order to improve goodness-of-fit. In addition to the hypothesized model, 3 other factor models were also examined. Recommendations for revision of items contained in the TIPSA, as well as evaluation of additional psychometric properties, are also included.