Research in life span development suggests that middle adulthood is a time of stability, discover... more Research in life span development suggests that middle adulthood is a time of stability, discovery, and psychosocial growth. This review applies the life span developmental perspective to advance counselors' understanding of psychosocial development during middle adulthood, specifically, midlife adults' sense of self, perceptions of aging, developmental tasks, and contexts.
As violence within American communities has become an increasingly common problem, the developmen... more As violence within American communities has become an increasingly common problem, the developmental and psychological consequences of exposure to community violence have become issues of import. Conditions of pervasive violence have deleterious effects on the development of moral reasoning, as they offer limited environmental opportunities for cognitive and social stimulation. Sociomoral interventions for children exposed to violence should incorporate social skills and perspective taking techniques in addition to training in sociomoral reasoning in order to stimulate higher levels of moral reasoning. Components for successful interventions are: (1) active listening and communication skills; (2) role-taking opportunities; (3) perspective-taking; and (4) social skills. (Contains 21 references.) (Author/TS)
Researchers who work with children and adolescents are confronted with a special set of ethical i... more Researchers who work with children and adolescents are confronted with a special set of ethical issues regarding informed consent. Federal guidelines generally stipulate that minors cannot provide informed consent for participation in research. Instead parental or guardian permission must be obtained for a minor to participate in research. However the literature in developmental psychology has shown that adolescents are able to make meaningful decisions and advocates for youth have argued that researchers must respect the autonomy rights of children and adolescents. The present review examines the developmental literature on children and adolescents' capacities to make informed, voluntary, and rational decisions to participate in research. The purposes and benefits of assent are identified. Recommendations are offered on how to enhance and respect minors' developing autonomy while protecting them from risks of research.
A model of alcohol use based on the theory of planned behavior, expectancy theory, and the develo... more A model of alcohol use based on the theory of planned behavior, expectancy theory, and the developmental literature on the influence of parents and peers was examined with 87 eleventh grade students, 105 college freshmen, and 107 college juniors. Specifically, the influence of attitudes about the positive and negative consequences of drinking, perceived parental and peer norms about alcohol consumption, and perceived control over drinking predicted self-reported alcohol use. The results suggest that, during adolescence, decisions to consume alcohol are rational, based on the consideration of the positive consequences of alcohol use and perceptions of control over drinking; however, the negative consequences of alcohol use are discounted. While perceived peer norms predicted alcohol consumption in all three age groups, the influence of perceived parental norms varied such that they predicted alcohol use only among the college juniors. Implications and avenues for future research are discussed.
Two ethical issues pertinent to applied research are discussed: consent and confidentiality. Info... more Two ethical issues pertinent to applied research are discussed: consent and confidentiality. Informed consent is described as a hallmark of ethical research, whether in the laboratory or the applied setting. The researcher's role is to provide information that any researcher in the same situation would want to know in order to weigh the risks and benefits of participation in the research. Passive consent is considered a common practice in which parents are asked to respond only if they do not want their children to participate in a study. Ethical considerations suggest that passive consent does not meet the requirements of informed consent, but practical considerations mean that a sample acquired only through active consent may not represent the study population adequately. Another issue that is not adequately addressed by American Psychological Association standards is that of confidentiality, especially with regard to minors. Parents may have the right to information about the study participant, and there may be legal reporting requirements to which the researcher must respond. When planning research, it is necessary to anticipate problems like these and plan approaches to minimize them. (SLD)
Moral reasoning, engagement in risk, and domain placement of risk as a moral, conventional, or pe... more Moral reasoning, engagement in risk, and domain placement of risk as a moral, conventional, or personal issue were assessed in two groups of students: an intervention group participating in an alternative school program employing the just community approach to education, and a control group from the larger high school with which the alternative school is affiliated. Students completed a questionnaire assessing the frequency with which they engage in four types of risk (delinquency, substance involvement, sex, and suicide); a questionnaire assessing how participants categorize decisions about whether to engage in these risks (as decisions of morality, social convention, or personal discretion); and the Defining Issues Test. Overall, students perceived risk as a personal choice, with the exception of delinquency, which was perceived as a moral choice; however, for substance involvement, this relationship differed by level of risk engagement. Domain placement of risk moderated the reasoning-behavior relationship such that students who considered delinquent activity to be a least partly a moral issue, and whose behavior corresponded to their judgments, exhibited less preconventional reasoning and more post conventional reasoning than those whose behavior did not correspond with their judgment. This relationship differed by school, indicating that the intervention had positive outcomes. (Contains 14 references.)
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 87567550309596431, Mar 25, 2010
ABSTRACT Two studies examined college students' perceptions of professors' ethica... more ABSTRACT Two studies examined college students' perceptions of professors' ethical responsibilities. Students agreed that professors must demonstrate respect for students, teach objectively, and grade honestly, and they should not tolerate cheating or plagiarism. Results indicate that students expect professors to act with professionalism, to employ a vast base of content knowledge, and to show concern for student welfare. Many view professors as exemplars of scholarship and professional behavior. Professors must be cognizant of student expectations and should reflect on their behavior both in and out of the classroom.
Integrating research ethics into the introductory psychology course curriculum
Sage, Nov 20, 2009
ABSTRACT Faculty at 2 universities integrated 6 case studies on research ethics into their introd... more ABSTRACT Faculty at 2 universities integrated 6 case studies on research ethics into their introductory Psychology curricula. Students who received the ethics modules were better able to identify ethical issues and consider moral ambiguities than students who received standard instruction. Students and faculty favorably evaluated the curriculum, and students indicated that ethics instruction increased their interest in research Psychology and scientific ethics.
A developmental-contextual perspective on youth covictimization by community violence
Adolescence, Feb 1, 1999
Witnessing violence within the community-covictimization-has been recognized as a threat to the o... more Witnessing violence within the community-covictimization-has been recognized as a threat to the optimal development of youth. Following a discussion of methodological issues that plague covictimization research, the literature on covictimization is reviewed, beginning with findings on its prevalence. Correlates of covictimization are then examined within the Shakoor and Chalmers framework, comprising emotional, cognitive, and behavioral domains. Recent lines of research investigating interactions among these three domains are also explored. Further, a developmental-contextual approach toward studying covictimization is outlined and, from this perspective, the relationship of covictimization to social cognition, health-related behaviors, parenting, and social support is discussed. Finally, recommendations for further research are presented.
There has been a great deal of debate over the influence of Barbie dolls on girls' developing... more There has been a great deal of debate over the influence of Barbie dolls on girls' developing self-concept and body image. Two qualitative studies were conducted to gather information about early adolescents' experiences with, and perspectives on, the controversial toy. In Study 1, focus groups with twenty 6th-grade girls suggested that they have ambiguous feelings toward the doll and the feminine sexualized image it represents. Study 2 gathered essay responses from fifty 7th- and 8th-grade boys and girls regarding their experiences with, and opinions on, Barbie dolls. Participants reported both positive and negative feelings toward the doll and its influence on girls' development.
This study examined developmental differences in rates of victimization by community violence and... more This study examined developmental differences in rates of victimization by community violence and associated coping processes in 123 sixth, seventh and eighth graders from a parochial school in a small Connecticut city. Subjects completed the Youth's Exposure to Community Violence questionnaire and the Ways of Coping questionnaire. Results indicated that the majority of subjects experienced at least one incident of victimization within the past year, including hitting, chasing, mugging, or wounding. Victims reported more use of each coping process than nonvictims, reflecting emotion-based (self-control, escape avoidance) and problem-based efforts (confrontative coping, planful problem solving, positive reappraisal, accepting responsibility). Results suggest that the experience of being a victim of community violence pushes students to try new strategies to cope with the stress of the incident. (JPB)
The physician-patient relationship has been described as an egalitarian partnership in which pati... more The physician-patient relationship has been described as an egalitarian partnership in which patients and physicians work together to make healthcare decisions. Although adults receive considerable encouragement to become active participants in medical decision-making, children and adolescents often have little voice in such decisions and are granted limited access to confidential medical care. After a brief discussion of legal perspectives on informed consent, the present review examines the developmental literature on children and adolescents' capacities to make medical decisions that are informed, voluntary, and rational. The purposes and benefits of assent are identified. Remaining questions of how to evaluate capacity and balance parental and minor autonomy are explored.
Researchers who work with children and adolescents are confronted with a special set of ethical i... more Researchers who work with children and adolescents are confronted with a special set of ethical issues regarding informed consent. Federal guidelines generally stipulate that minors cannot provide informed consent for participation in research. Instead parental or guardian permission must be obtained for a minor to participate in research. However the literature in developmental psychology has shown that adolescents are able to make meaningful decisions and advocates for youth have argued that researchers must respect the autonomy rights of children and adolescents. The present review examines the developmental literature on children and adolescents' capacities to make informed, voluntary, and rational decisions to participate in research. The purposes and benefits of assent are identified. Recommendations are offered on how to enhance and respect minors' developing autonomy while protecting them from risks of research.
There has been a great deal of debate over the influence of Barbie dolls on girls' developing... more There has been a great deal of debate over the influence of Barbie dolls on girls' developing self-concept and body image. Two qualitative studies were conducted to gather information about early adolescents' experiences with, and perspectives on, the controversial toy. In Study 1, focus groups with twenty 6th-grade girls suggested that they have ambiguous feelings toward the doll and the feminine sexualized image it represents. Study 2 gathered essay responses from fifty 7th- and 8th-grade boys and girls regarding their experiences with, and opinions on, Barbie dolls. Participants reported both positive and negative feelings toward the doll and its influence on girls' development.
Research in life span development suggests that middle adulthood is a time of stability, discover... more Research in life span development suggests that middle adulthood is a time of stability, discovery, and psychosocial growth. This review applies the life span developmental perspective to advance counselors' understanding of psychosocial development during middle adulthood, specifically, midlife adults' sense of self, perceptions of aging, developmental tasks, and contexts.
As violence within American communities has become an increasingly common problem, the developmen... more As violence within American communities has become an increasingly common problem, the developmental and psychological consequences of exposure to community violence have become issues of import. Conditions of pervasive violence have deleterious effects on the development of moral reasoning, as they offer limited environmental opportunities for cognitive and social stimulation. Sociomoral interventions for children exposed to violence should incorporate social skills and perspective taking techniques in addition to training in sociomoral reasoning in order to stimulate higher levels of moral reasoning. Components for successful interventions are: (1) active listening and communication skills; (2) role-taking opportunities; (3) perspective-taking; and (4) social skills. (Contains 21 references.) (Author/TS)
Researchers who work with children and adolescents are confronted with a special set of ethical i... more Researchers who work with children and adolescents are confronted with a special set of ethical issues regarding informed consent. Federal guidelines generally stipulate that minors cannot provide informed consent for participation in research. Instead parental or guardian permission must be obtained for a minor to participate in research. However the literature in developmental psychology has shown that adolescents are able to make meaningful decisions and advocates for youth have argued that researchers must respect the autonomy rights of children and adolescents. The present review examines the developmental literature on children and adolescents' capacities to make informed, voluntary, and rational decisions to participate in research. The purposes and benefits of assent are identified. Recommendations are offered on how to enhance and respect minors' developing autonomy while protecting them from risks of research.
A model of alcohol use based on the theory of planned behavior, expectancy theory, and the develo... more A model of alcohol use based on the theory of planned behavior, expectancy theory, and the developmental literature on the influence of parents and peers was examined with 87 eleventh grade students, 105 college freshmen, and 107 college juniors. Specifically, the influence of attitudes about the positive and negative consequences of drinking, perceived parental and peer norms about alcohol consumption, and perceived control over drinking predicted self-reported alcohol use. The results suggest that, during adolescence, decisions to consume alcohol are rational, based on the consideration of the positive consequences of alcohol use and perceptions of control over drinking; however, the negative consequences of alcohol use are discounted. While perceived peer norms predicted alcohol consumption in all three age groups, the influence of perceived parental norms varied such that they predicted alcohol use only among the college juniors. Implications and avenues for future research are discussed.
Two ethical issues pertinent to applied research are discussed: consent and confidentiality. Info... more Two ethical issues pertinent to applied research are discussed: consent and confidentiality. Informed consent is described as a hallmark of ethical research, whether in the laboratory or the applied setting. The researcher's role is to provide information that any researcher in the same situation would want to know in order to weigh the risks and benefits of participation in the research. Passive consent is considered a common practice in which parents are asked to respond only if they do not want their children to participate in a study. Ethical considerations suggest that passive consent does not meet the requirements of informed consent, but practical considerations mean that a sample acquired only through active consent may not represent the study population adequately. Another issue that is not adequately addressed by American Psychological Association standards is that of confidentiality, especially with regard to minors. Parents may have the right to information about the study participant, and there may be legal reporting requirements to which the researcher must respond. When planning research, it is necessary to anticipate problems like these and plan approaches to minimize them. (SLD)
Moral reasoning, engagement in risk, and domain placement of risk as a moral, conventional, or pe... more Moral reasoning, engagement in risk, and domain placement of risk as a moral, conventional, or personal issue were assessed in two groups of students: an intervention group participating in an alternative school program employing the just community approach to education, and a control group from the larger high school with which the alternative school is affiliated. Students completed a questionnaire assessing the frequency with which they engage in four types of risk (delinquency, substance involvement, sex, and suicide); a questionnaire assessing how participants categorize decisions about whether to engage in these risks (as decisions of morality, social convention, or personal discretion); and the Defining Issues Test. Overall, students perceived risk as a personal choice, with the exception of delinquency, which was perceived as a moral choice; however, for substance involvement, this relationship differed by level of risk engagement. Domain placement of risk moderated the reasoning-behavior relationship such that students who considered delinquent activity to be a least partly a moral issue, and whose behavior corresponded to their judgments, exhibited less preconventional reasoning and more post conventional reasoning than those whose behavior did not correspond with their judgment. This relationship differed by school, indicating that the intervention had positive outcomes. (Contains 14 references.)
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 87567550309596431, Mar 25, 2010
ABSTRACT Two studies examined college students' perceptions of professors' ethica... more ABSTRACT Two studies examined college students' perceptions of professors' ethical responsibilities. Students agreed that professors must demonstrate respect for students, teach objectively, and grade honestly, and they should not tolerate cheating or plagiarism. Results indicate that students expect professors to act with professionalism, to employ a vast base of content knowledge, and to show concern for student welfare. Many view professors as exemplars of scholarship and professional behavior. Professors must be cognizant of student expectations and should reflect on their behavior both in and out of the classroom.
Integrating research ethics into the introductory psychology course curriculum
Sage, Nov 20, 2009
ABSTRACT Faculty at 2 universities integrated 6 case studies on research ethics into their introd... more ABSTRACT Faculty at 2 universities integrated 6 case studies on research ethics into their introductory Psychology curricula. Students who received the ethics modules were better able to identify ethical issues and consider moral ambiguities than students who received standard instruction. Students and faculty favorably evaluated the curriculum, and students indicated that ethics instruction increased their interest in research Psychology and scientific ethics.
A developmental-contextual perspective on youth covictimization by community violence
Adolescence, Feb 1, 1999
Witnessing violence within the community-covictimization-has been recognized as a threat to the o... more Witnessing violence within the community-covictimization-has been recognized as a threat to the optimal development of youth. Following a discussion of methodological issues that plague covictimization research, the literature on covictimization is reviewed, beginning with findings on its prevalence. Correlates of covictimization are then examined within the Shakoor and Chalmers framework, comprising emotional, cognitive, and behavioral domains. Recent lines of research investigating interactions among these three domains are also explored. Further, a developmental-contextual approach toward studying covictimization is outlined and, from this perspective, the relationship of covictimization to social cognition, health-related behaviors, parenting, and social support is discussed. Finally, recommendations for further research are presented.
There has been a great deal of debate over the influence of Barbie dolls on girls' developing... more There has been a great deal of debate over the influence of Barbie dolls on girls' developing self-concept and body image. Two qualitative studies were conducted to gather information about early adolescents' experiences with, and perspectives on, the controversial toy. In Study 1, focus groups with twenty 6th-grade girls suggested that they have ambiguous feelings toward the doll and the feminine sexualized image it represents. Study 2 gathered essay responses from fifty 7th- and 8th-grade boys and girls regarding their experiences with, and opinions on, Barbie dolls. Participants reported both positive and negative feelings toward the doll and its influence on girls' development.
This study examined developmental differences in rates of victimization by community violence and... more This study examined developmental differences in rates of victimization by community violence and associated coping processes in 123 sixth, seventh and eighth graders from a parochial school in a small Connecticut city. Subjects completed the Youth's Exposure to Community Violence questionnaire and the Ways of Coping questionnaire. Results indicated that the majority of subjects experienced at least one incident of victimization within the past year, including hitting, chasing, mugging, or wounding. Victims reported more use of each coping process than nonvictims, reflecting emotion-based (self-control, escape avoidance) and problem-based efforts (confrontative coping, planful problem solving, positive reappraisal, accepting responsibility). Results suggest that the experience of being a victim of community violence pushes students to try new strategies to cope with the stress of the incident. (JPB)
The physician-patient relationship has been described as an egalitarian partnership in which pati... more The physician-patient relationship has been described as an egalitarian partnership in which patients and physicians work together to make healthcare decisions. Although adults receive considerable encouragement to become active participants in medical decision-making, children and adolescents often have little voice in such decisions and are granted limited access to confidential medical care. After a brief discussion of legal perspectives on informed consent, the present review examines the developmental literature on children and adolescents' capacities to make medical decisions that are informed, voluntary, and rational. The purposes and benefits of assent are identified. Remaining questions of how to evaluate capacity and balance parental and minor autonomy are explored.
Researchers who work with children and adolescents are confronted with a special set of ethical i... more Researchers who work with children and adolescents are confronted with a special set of ethical issues regarding informed consent. Federal guidelines generally stipulate that minors cannot provide informed consent for participation in research. Instead parental or guardian permission must be obtained for a minor to participate in research. However the literature in developmental psychology has shown that adolescents are able to make meaningful decisions and advocates for youth have argued that researchers must respect the autonomy rights of children and adolescents. The present review examines the developmental literature on children and adolescents' capacities to make informed, voluntary, and rational decisions to participate in research. The purposes and benefits of assent are identified. Recommendations are offered on how to enhance and respect minors' developing autonomy while protecting them from risks of research.
There has been a great deal of debate over the influence of Barbie dolls on girls' developing... more There has been a great deal of debate over the influence of Barbie dolls on girls' developing self-concept and body image. Two qualitative studies were conducted to gather information about early adolescents' experiences with, and perspectives on, the controversial toy. In Study 1, focus groups with twenty 6th-grade girls suggested that they have ambiguous feelings toward the doll and the feminine sexualized image it represents. Study 2 gathered essay responses from fifty 7th- and 8th-grade boys and girls regarding their experiences with, and opinions on, Barbie dolls. Participants reported both positive and negative feelings toward the doll and its influence on girls' development.
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