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Empirical actuarial measures are significantly more accurate than unstructured clinical judgments in predicting recidivism risk of incarcerated populations across different cultures. In a retrospective study, we examined the predictive validity of the Static-99R, the actuarial measure most used around the world for assessing the recidivism risk of persons who committed a sexual offense (PCS), in a sample of 518 male PCS in Romania. The results showed a good predictive validity for any kind of recidivism (area under the curve [AUC] = .70) and a slightly lower predictive accuracy for violent (AUC = .69) and sexual recidivism (AUC = .67). Effect sizes and the predictive validity of the single items of the Static-99R have also been examined. In addition, the predicted rates of reconviction have been compared with the observed rates. The Romanian version of the Static-99R has been shown as a valid, useful tool to predict sexual, violent, and general recidivism for Romanian PCS.

ZusammenfassungProjektive Verfahren werden auch heute noch in der familienrechtspsychologischen Diagnostik eingesetzt. Erfahrungsgemäß lassen sich 3 unterschiedliche Anwendungsarten unterscheiden: a) als klassisch diagnostisches Instrument, b) als informelle Verhaltensprobe oder c) als Explorationshilfe bzw. Gesprächseinstieg. In der folgenden Übersicht werden diese 3 Anwendungsarten dargestellt sowie ihr Nutzen für die familienrechtspsychologische Diagnostik kritisch diskutiert. Hierfür wird zunächst ein Überblick über die empirische Fundierung der am meisten genutzten projektiven Verfahren (des Thematischen Apperzeptionstests und zeichnerische Verfahren allgemein) gegeben. Es wird dann diskutiert, ob die klassischen psychometrischen Gütekriterien auf projektive Verfahren anwendbar sind. Hinsichtlich der Verwendung projektiver Verfahren als informelle Verhaltensprobe wird auf mögliche Urteilsverzerrungen hingewiesen, insbesondere den „confirmation bias“, den Effekt der illusorischen Korrelation und den möglichen Einfluss irrelevanter Informationen auf den diagnostischen Prozess. Angesichts der potenziell negativen Auswirkungen auf die Validität der Diagnostik empfehlen wir, projektive Verfahren nicht in der Einzelfalldiagnostik einzusetzen, wenn keine direkten empirischen Belege für die Validität des spezifischen Verfahrens für die genutzte Auswertungsart und das zu diagnostizierende Konstrukt vorliegen.

In this paper we explore whether mental representation about birth (birth-related mindset) assessed during pregnancy can predict labor and birth in the sense that the perception of birth as a natural (vs medical) event increases the probability of a low-intervention birth. Birth in turn might affect short- and long-term psychological well-being. These assumptions were tested in a longitudinal study (N = 311), spanning the first half of pregnancy up to six months after birth. Results of a Single Indicator Model displayed a sequential process: women who held a more natural mindset prenatally were more likely to have low-intervention births, which resulted in a more positive evaluation of the birth experience, which in turn predicted well-being in the first weeks after birth (measured with Ecological Momentary Assessment), and subsequently postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms eight weeks after birth as well as mother-infant bonding six months after birth. The study demonstrates the relevance of psychological factors for childbirth. The construct of a birth-related mindset could contribute to a better understanding of childbirth and help to make women’s birth experiences safer and more satisfying and to improve the transition to motherhood.

While discussion of religiosity and delinquency has garnered attention in the past few decades, few studies have focused on how religiosity influences rates of delinquency among Muslim adolescents. In this systematic review, keywords were used to cull pertinent articles from two major databases (Scopus and EBSCOhost). In total, 14 articles were identified based on several inclusion criteria. In general, the studies selected showed that Muslim adolescents have a lower rate of delinquency compared to non-Muslim adolescents. However, when questions related to the measurement of delinquency (such as including violence) and the cultural context (such as including individuals who are first-generation immigrants of a non-Muslim-majority country) are taken into consideration, more complex trends are observed. Furthermore, many identified articles did not capture the essence of Muslim religiosity as conceptualized by some Muslim researchers, which has specific and unique properties that must be considered. This study demonstrates how Muslim religiosity protects against delinquency and has a potential use for intervention with Muslim adolescents.

Enhancing people's future orientation, in particular continuity with their future selves, has been proposed as promising to mitigate self-control–related problem behavior. In two pre-registered, direct replication studies, we tested a subtle manipulation, that is, writing a letter to one's future self, in order to reduce delinquent decisions (van Gelder et al., 2013, Study 1) and risky investments (Monroe et al., 2017, Study 1). With samples of n = 314 and n = 463, which is 2.5 times the original studies' sample sizes, the results suggested that the expected effects are either non-existent or smaller than originally reported, and/or dependent on factors not examined. Vividness of the future self was successfully manipulated in Study 2, but manipulation checks overall indicated that the letter task is not reliable to alter future orientation. We discuss ideas to integrate self-affirmation approaches and to test less subtle manipulations in samples with substantial, myopia-related self-control deficits.

ZusammenfassungIn diesem Artikel werden die Ergebnisse von 18 Studien aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz hinsichtlich der Rückfälligkeit von Sexualstraftätern und der prädiktiven Validität des Static-99 beschrieben. Auf dieser Grundlage wurden für den Static-99 gewichtete Mittelwerte der „area under the curve“ (AUC) berechnet. Es zeigt sich, dass der Static-99 im deutschsprachigen Raum valide Vorhersagen zu unterschiedlichen Rückfallstraftaten treffen kann (mittlere AUC = 0,68 bis 0,72). Die AUC-Werte werden für verschiedene Täter- und Altersgruppen nachgewiesen und variieren meist zwischen 0,67 und 0,76. Die Rückfallkategorien des Static-99 erweisen sich ebenfalls als gültig. Schwächere Werte werden für die Anwendung bei Personen, die wegen eines Sexualdelikts gegen Erwachsene verurteilt wurden und für die Vorhersage nichtsexueller Gewalttaten berichtet. Eine Diskussion der Ergebnisse sowie ein Ausblick auf die zukünftige Forschung werden gegeben.

Abstract. For years, disgust was conceptualized as a disease-avoidance mechanism. However, research shows that socio-moral or sexual transgressions elicit disgust, too. Until now, no German-language disgust scale has covered all disgust factors discussed in the literature. Here we present an economic Five-Factor Disgust Scale (5-FES; Fünf-Faktoren Ekelskala) along with empirical evidence from three studies corroborating its reliability and validity. Two well-established disgust questionnaires were combined and extended with other disgust-relevant items. Using item reduction and exploratory factor analysis, death-related, moral, food-related, sexual, and pathogen disgust emerged as distinct factors (Study 1: N = 456). Confirmatory factor analysis with two large samples (Study 2: N = 997 and N = 405) demonstrated a good fit of the correlated five-factor solution. The 5-FES correlated weakly with neuroticism, anxiety, and social desirability. A high negative correlation between sexual disgust and sexual openness emerged. Criterion validity was shown using self-reported behaviors (Study 3: N = 203). With food-related disgust comprising items about non-spoiled but exotic foods, a new disgust domain emerged. Results indicate that the 5-FES is a comprehensive and psychometrically sound German-language instrument for the differentiated assessment of disgust propensity.

Previous studies suggest that the process of becoming desistant from crime is accompanied by a shift from criminal to law-abiding identity and by the development of self-efficacy for law-abiding behavior. Utilizing direct (self-report) and indirect (Implicit Association Test; IAT) measures of both variables we predicted that a) a stronger law-abiding relative to criminal identity and a stronger/weaker self-efficacy for law-abiding/criminal behavior will correlate with less previous criminal involvement at T1 and b) will prospectively explain variance in desistance two to three years later at T2. Results from a sample of late adolescent and adult offenders on probation largely confirmed cross-sectional associations with previous criminal involvement at T1 (N = 325). Univariately, self-reported and latency-based measured identity for law-abiding relative to criminal behavior explained variance in (survival time until) recidivism at T2 as opposed to self-efficacy for law-abiding or criminal behavior. Multivariately, self-reported law-abiding relative to criminal identity explained variance in survival time until recidivism over and beyond actuarial risk factors at T2. Further analyses showed that actuarial risk factors increasingly overestimated the risk to reoffend as the strength of law-abiding relative to criminal identity increased. The findings indicate that the strength of law-abiding relative to criminal identity plays a role in persisting in or desisting from criminal behavior. Yet, further research is necessary to identify the causal psychological mechanisms of identity change in the process towards desistance from crime.

Careless responding (CR) in surveys has been identified as a serious threat for the validity of survey data. It occurs when participants respond without following the instructions or reading the content of items. The purpose of this article is to assess and explain the amount of CR at the individual and country level. In our study, individual CR (measured by indices using a short Big 5 personality questionnaire) correlated with education level and personality traits. In addition, using a sample of 8,320 participants from 34 countries, CR at the country level was investigated and it was strongly correlated with the cultural dimensions: human development, individualism, gender inequality, and power distance. CR can be seen as a powerful predictor of differences between countries. Finally, a comparison between CR and response styles (extreme and midpoint answers, acquiescence, and socially desirable responses) was conducted. CR and response styles showed some overlap, but loaded on different factors. CR is compatible with extreme answers, midpoint answers, and acquiescence, but different from social desirability. Social desirability is the only response style which requires careful reading of items.

The number of pedestrian casualties in crashes with motorised vehicles is still alarming. Misunderstandings about the other road users’ intentions are certainly one contributory factor. Especially given recent developments in vehicle automation, informing about ‘vehicle behaviour’ and ‘vehicle intentions’ in the absence of any direct interaction between the driver and the outside world is becoming increasingly relevant. A frontal brake light which communicates that a vehicle is decelerating could be a simple approach to support pedestrians and other road users in the interaction with (potentially automated) motorised vehicles. To assess the effect of a frontal brake light on the identification of vehicle deceleration, the authors conducted a video based lab experiment. The brake light facilitated the identification of decelerations considerably. At the same time, the fact that only half of the decelerations were accompanied by the brake light resulted in increased identification times for decelerations in which the frontal brake light was absent compared to a control condition in which none of the decelerations was indicated by such a light. This finding points towards an increasingly conservative approach in the participants’ assessment of deceleration, which could be interpreted as an indicator of a potential safety effect of the frontal brake light.

The current study compared the incidence and magnitude of physical aggression among married partners in 34 countries and examined its association with cultural factors (Gender Inequality Index, Hum...

Background and objectives Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) highlight the role of cognitive biases for the development of the disorder. One of these biases, an inflated sense of responsibility has been associated with higher anger scores and latent aggression on self-report scales, especially in patients with compulsive checking. Validity of self-report assessment is, however, compromised by inaccuracy, social desirability, and low metacognitive awareness of traits and behaviors in patients. The aim of the present study was to extend the research on latent aggression in individuals with OCD by using an indirect, implicit measure of aggression. Methods Fifty-eight patients with OCD and 25 healthy controls were assessed with an Aggressiveness-Implicit Association Test (IAT), which is a reaction time task that assesses the strength of associations between the concept of “aggressiveness” and “me” compared to others. Results Contrary to our expectation, OCD patients with checking symptoms showed a more peaceful implicit self-concept than healthy controls. This result was corroborated by negative correlations between checking symptoms and implicit aggressiveness in the OCD sample. Limitations No self-report measures on aggression or anger were included in the study. Conclusions In comparison to previous research using self-report measures, our study indicates that implicit aspects of aggression do indeed differ from controlled aspects in patients with checking compulsions. Future research is necessary to better understand the role of aggressiveness in OCD and to derive implications for therapy.

Assessments based on reaction time and language-based interviews postulate that unconscious attachment processes be measured. Nevertheless, a possible empirical equivalence of these two approaches has not yet been investigated. To fill this void, the Adult Attachment Interview and the Implicit Association Test were implemented with a group of patients with panic disorder (n = 157, mean age = 29, SD = 2.47) based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, axis I and II disorders and a group of healthy individuals (n = 138). In total, the securely attached individuals showed significantly more positive attitudes toward their mother than the insecurely attached individuals. In the healthy individuals, the secure and disorganized classifications showed significantly more positive attitudes toward the mother in comparison with the insecure attachment classification, as well as the patient group. In summary, implicit attachment patterns based on reaction times are not equivalent to an attachment representation based on language markers. For the disorganized attachment representation, no differences were present between the information processing of the memory/association network and the autobiographic memory function.

Background Married couples often share similar health-related characteristics and behaviors, including cigarette smoking status. Despite their rising popularity in the U.S., little research has examined the patterns of spousal concordance (SC) for alternative tobacco products (ATPs), such as e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookah. Methods The purpose of this project was to examine the roles of age, gender, and culture in the strength of SC for these ATPs. Analyses focused on a diverse community sample of married individuals in Ohio, U.S. (N = 278), but also examined patterns in Austria, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, and Slovakia. All participants completed a survey in which they indicated both their own, and their spouse’s ever-use of various tobacco products. Results For the U.S. sample, SC was highest for e-cigarettes, flavored e-cigarettes, flavored cigarettes, and hookah (ϕs = 0.48– 0.61); SC appeared to be stronger among younger couples, and when there was only a small female vs. male differences in use. Similar patterns were found in the other countries, with a few key exceptions. In particular, there was low SC for e-cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes in the other countries, where e-cigarettes had been federally regulated by the time of data collection. Conclusion Overall, these findings have implications for the continued spreading popularity of these tobacco use behaviors.

Evaluative priming is based on the notion that evaluative classifications of target stimuli are faster (vs. slower) when they are preceded by a prime stimulus of the same (vs. opposite) valence. Although evaluative priming is widely used as an implicit measure of evaluation, there is no common procedure for the treatment of response-latency outliers. To address this limitation, four studies examined common outlier-treatments in terms of (1) the overall size of evaluative priming effects, (2) their internal consistency, and (3) their relation to corresponding explicit measures in the domains of conditioned attitudes (Study 1), political attitudes (Study 2), racial attitudes (Study 3), and ethnic attitudes (Study 4). The algorithm with the best performance uses a priori cutoffs of 300 ms and 1000 ms, treating response times beyond these cutoffs as missing values. Internal consistency was low for all algorithms, indicating limits in the usefulness of evaluative priming for correlational studies.

Introduction The “Dunkelfeld” project offers pharmacologic treatment and psychotherapy to self-referred pedophilic patients in an anonymous way. Aim To provide a re-assessment focusing on the crucial time × group interaction (ie, the treatment effect). Methods A recent study reported on the effectiveness of the “Dunkelfeld” program based on intermediate data of a treatment group (TG; n = 53) and a waiting-list control group (CG; n = 22). With psychological indicators, it was concluded that the therapy program changed dynamic risk factors that are associated with sexually offending against children. Although based on an independent groups pre-post design, the original report includes within-group pre- and post-comparisons only, as well as between-group comparisons at the pre- and post-treatment stages. In the current study, an effect size index was computed that compares the change occurring in both groups (TG and CG) with each other (Morris d). Moreover, 95% CI of d were calculated. Main Outcome Measures The analyses were limited to 12 dynamic risk factors pertaining to emotional dysfunction, offense-supportive attitudes, sexual dysregulation, impression management, and 2 types of delinquent behavior, including recent behavior related to sexual offenses against children and recent use of child sexual abuse images. Results All 14 indicators showed weak treatment effects at most, with a median d of 0.30. None of the effect sizes was statistically significant (ie, in every case the 95% CI included 0). Further methodologic concerns include a familywise error rate close to 1 and too little statistical power to identify potential effects. Clinical Implications As far as dynamic risk factors are concerned, the data do not show that treatment within the “Dunkelfeld” program leads to any reduction of the proneness to commit sexual offenses against children. Strengths & Limitations The current study adds crucial information lacking in the original analysis. Because the re-appraisal has the same limited statistical power as the original study, the current results are tentative in the sense that the possibility of the program being effective cannot be ruled out. A further limitation is that not all of the dynamic risk factors chosen as indicators of possible treatment success have been established as relevant for sexual (re-)offending in prior empirical studies. Conclusions The outcome emphasizes the notion that independent groups pretest-posttest designs should be analyzed based on the treatment × time interaction. Mokros A, Banse R. The “Dunkelfeld” Project for Self-Identified Pedophiles: A Reappraisal of its Effectiveness. J Sex Med 2019;16:609–613.

The current research explored continuous behavioral processes by recording participants’ hand movements toward a response option using Mousetracker software. Across three studies, we tested the idea that sexual interest-related decisions can be indexed using automatic movements. Using a UK sample of self-identified same- and opposite-gender attracted men (N = 43), Study 1 showed that the process of approaching the response button was faster, more direct, and less curved when participants responded from their own (vs. a non-preferred) perspective. Study 2 supported these findings using a German sample of self-identified same- and opposite-gender attracted men (N = 66). Using a teleiophilic sample of 100 self-identified opposite-gender attracted men (n = 51) and women (n = 49), Study 3 examined age-specific sexual interests (i.e., responding to stimuli from a pedophilic and a teleiophilic perspective). As expected, in the teleiophilic block, participants’ responses were faster, more direct, and less curved than in the pedophilic block. Collectively, the results suggest that mousetracking shows promise as a measure of sexual interest (across the dimension of both gender and age), providing grounds for future research.

Background: Different studies have shown that a patient’s attachment correlates with the psychotherapy outcome. However, these findings are based on the traditional interview and paper and pencil attachment methods. Latency-based methods like the Implicit Association Test (IAT) have not yet been investigated in clinical attachment research, specifically in therapy outcome research. Objectives: It can be hypothesized that patients with positive schemas of their mother and their partner may show a better psychotherapeutic outcome than those with less positive schemas of their mother/partner. Method: A sample of 103 patients suffering from panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (age 36.73, SD = 10.80), including 56% of patients with affective or other anxiety disorders as comorbidities without a personality disorder, based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I/II), were treated with a manualized cognitive-behavioral confrontation therapy. Two IATs (for mother and partner) were implemented before the therapy (t1). The symptom reduction was assessed by the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) with symptoms at t1 and IAT at t1 as predictors of symptoms at t2. Results: The results confirmed a moderate to high therapeutic effect of the confrontation therapy. Furthermore, the mother’s IAT at t1 predicted the Global Severity Index (β = 0.20) as well as the Anxiety subscale (β = 0.18) at t2 above and beyond the t1 measurement of the criteria. Conclusions: Implicit attitudes of the mother predicted the symptom reduction and a better therapeutic outcome. Relationship aspects with less impact awareness predicted the therapeutic outcome, even though mostly cognitive-behavioral techniques were used.

Consistent evidence exists for sexual interest in children in nonclinical/nonforensic male populations. However, prevalences for community men's self-reported sexual interest in children have been based on indiscriminate definitions including postpubescent individuals, age-restricted samples, and/or small convenience samples. The present research assessed men's self-reported sexual interest in children (including child prostitution and child sex tourism) on the community level and examined the link between strictly defined sexual fantasies and behaviors involving prepubescent children. In an online survey of 8,718 German men, 4.1% reported sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children, 3.2% reported sexual offending against prepubescent children, and 0.1% reported a pedophilic sexual preference. Sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children were positively related to sexual offending against prepubescent children. Sexual interest in children was associated with subjectively perceived need for therapeutic help. In contrast to findings from forensic samples, men who reported child pornography use exclusively were identified as a subgroup differing from contact sexual offenders against prepubescent children and men who reported both child pornography use and contact sexual offenses against prepubescent children. The empirical link between child-related sexual fantasies and sexual victimization of prepubescent children and high levels of subjective distress from this inclination underscore the importance of evidence-based child sexual abuse prevention approaches in the community. Findings are discussed in terms of their relation to pedophilic disorder.

Das zentrale Ziel des Strafvollzuges in Deutschland ist es, Strafgefangene zu befahigen, ein Leben ohne Straftaten zu fuhren. Zu diesem Zweck sieht das Strafvollzugsgesetz die Behandlung von Gefangenen im Vollzug bzw. in einer sozialtherapeutischen Anstalt vor. Aus ethischen und sicherheitspolitischen Grunden sowie aufgrund von Kosten-Nutzen Erwagungen erscheint es dringend geboten, die Wirksamkeit von Straftaterbehandlungsprogrammen zu evaluieren. Dabei mussen einige Aspekte beachtet werden, um aussagekraftige Ergebnisse erzielen zu konnen: (1) die Festlegung einer adaquaten Kontrollbedingung, in der vergleichbare Rahmenbedingungen vorliegen und (2) Storeinflusse durch eine ausreichend grose Stichprobe weitestgehend kontrolliert werden, (3) die Gewahrleistung der Behandlungsintegritat durch eine hinreichende Standardisierung des Vorgehens, (4) der Einschluss aller relevanten Straftaterpopulationen, fur die eine Behandlung zukunftig angewendet werden soll, (5) die Einbeziehung von Therapieabbrechern in die Datenanalyse und (6) die Auswahl von aussagekraftigen Erfolgskriterien. Ist die Auswahl einer adaquaten Kontrollgruppe nicht moglich, sollte dennoch nicht auf eine Vergleichsbedingung verzichtet werden. Alternativ sollten in so einem Fall dismantling bzw. additive Studien durchgefuhrt werden.

The present study was conducted to validate an adaptation of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as an indirect latency-based measure of sexual orientation. Furthermore, reliability and criterion validity of the IRAP were compared to two established indirect measures of sexual orientation: a Choice Reaction Time task (CRT) and a Viewing Time (VT) task. A sample of 87 heterosexual and 35 gay men completed all three indirect measures in an online study. The IRAP and the VT predicted sexual orientation nearly perfectly. Both measures also showed a considerable amount of convergent validity. Reliabilities (internal consistencies) reached satisfactory levels. In contrast, the CRT did not tap into sexual orientation in the present study. In sum, the VT measure performed best, with the IRAP showing only slightly lower reliability and criterion validity, whereas the CRT did not yield any evidence of reliability or criterion validity in the present research. The results were discussed in the light of specific task properties of the indirect latency-based measures (task-relevance vs. task-irrelevance).

The present study investigated the relationship between explicit and implicit measures of affiliation, power, and achievement motives and behavior as related to social networking sites (SNS) in a sample of 59 participants. SNS appear to be designed to enable social connection via the Internet, so the potential for influence of the affiliation motive seemed self-evident. Additionally, we hypothesized that the power motive drives certain aspects of SNS behavior such that individuals with a high power motive have a larger number of friends and upload more pictures. The results of regression analyses showed that the explicit affiliation motive and the explicit power motive were related to different outcomes of SNS activity. Specifically, the explicit power motive predicted number of friends and number of uploaded pictures, whereas time spent on SNS per day was predicted by the explicit affiliation motive. Only weak evidence was found for an influence of implicit motives on SNS activity.

The Implicit Association Test (IAT, Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998) was adapted to assess the automatically activated (implicit) self-concept of aggressiveness. In three studies the validity of the Aggressiveness-IAT (Agg-IAT) was supported by substantial correlations with self-report measures of aggressiveness. After controlling for self-report measures of aggressiveness, the Agg-IAT accounted for 9-15% of the variance of three different indicators of aggressive behavior across three studies. To further explore the nomological network around the Agg-IAT we investigated its correlations with measures of social desirability (SD). Although not fully conclusive, the results across four studies provided some support for a weak negative correlation between impression management SD and aggressive behavior as well as the Agg-IAT. This result is in line with an interpersonally oriented self-control account of impression management SD. Individuals with high SD scores seem to behave less aggressively, and to show lower Agg-IAT scores. The one-week stability of the Agg-IAT was r = .58 in Study 4. Aggr. Behav. 9999:XX-XX, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en

In research on aggression, implicit association tests (IATs) have been constructed to elucidate automatic processes involved in aggressiveness. Despite an increasing number of applications of the "Aggressiveness-IAT" in basic and applied research, the psychometric properties of this method for measuring an automatic aggressive self-concept have not been comprehensively investigated. Although the Aggressiveness-IAT has been used both as a cross-situationally consistent trait measure and as a measure to indicate situational changes, prior studies have not tested to what extent it reliably captures a stable trait vs. an occasion-specific aggressive self-concept. The present research scrutinizes the psychometric properties of the Aggressiveness-IAT by addressing two issues. First, we tested the reliability, consistency, and occasion specificity of the Aggressiveness-IAT in a longitudinal panel study with four waves and 574 Austrian school children/adolescents by applying latent-state trait (LST) theory. Second, we validated latent trait scores of the IAT vis-a-vis other measures either clearly related to aggression or not. RESULTS demonstrate that 20-30% of the variance in children's and adolescents' IAT scores is situation-unspecific (i.e., "stable"), whereas 36-50% are situation-specific. Regarding its construct validity, the Aggressiveness-IAT is correlated with explicit measures of aggression and related constructs, but it is not associated with discriminant variables (e.g., school achievement). Implications for using the Aggressiveness-IAT are discussed in the light of these findings. Aggr. Behav. 9999:1-12, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en

We review the recent research literature on pro-criminal attitudes (PCAs) as dcausal factor of recidivism with a focus on studies on the effectiveness of offender treatment programs targeting PCAs to prevent recidivism. The main conclusions that can be derived from the literature are: (1) the evidence supports the hypothesis that PCAs are related to reoffending; (2) most investigated offender treatment programs tend to reduce PCAs, although the general lack of adequate control group designs does not rule out alternative explanations for this reduction; and (3) there is no conclusive empirical evidence that intervention programs designed to reduce PCAs are effective in reducing recidivism. Empirical research in this area lacks the theoretical and methodological rigor to test causal models of the influence of treatment on reducing PCAs, and effects of PCAs on recidivism. Limitations of the empirical evidence are related to inadequate research designs and/or suboptimal data analysis strategies. Recommendations concerning optimized research designs and data analysis strategies that are likely to provide more conclusive evidence on the relation of PCAs, PCA treatment, and recidivism are given. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

At present, it is not well understood which individual characteristics determine whether individuals will benefit or suffer from feedback about suboptimal performance. Three separate studies tested the idea that individuals‘ reactions to (neutral versus negative; positive versus negative) feedback as either improving or deteriorating performance in intelligence tests depended on their explicit and implicit self–concept of intelligence (eSCI and iSCI). In all studies (Study 1, N = 177; Study 2, N = 165; Study 3, N = 132), persons with low eSCI/high iSCI showed a boost in performance after negative feedback, whereas persons with any other combination showed a decline in performance. The studies also provide an explanation for these effects in terms of mediating mechanisms. Whereas the performance boost of individuals with low eSCI/high iSCI can be best explained by achievement–related reactance (Studies 2 and 3) and decrease in ruminative thinking (Study 3), the performance declines in the other configurations were mediated by decreased achievement motivation, increased frustration and increased outrage (Study 3). All these mediating mechanisms proved independent and incremental in a bootstrapping–based moderated meditation analysis. The results are discussed in light of the construct validity of our Implicit Association Test (IAT) and IATs in general. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sexual narcissism (SN) has recently been proposed to be a specific risk factor for the perpetration of sexual coercion based on both self-reports of previous behavior and self-estimated likelihood of engaging in acts of sexual violence. To explore one of the potential underlying mechanisms of SN, we tested whether for highly sexually narcissistic males (measured with the German language version of the Sexual Narcissism Scale) the subtle priming of sexual concepts would evoke aggressive behavior in a standard measure of aggressive behavior, the Taylor Aggression Paradigm. Results showed that only for sexually narcissistic men did a subtle priming with mildly erotic words lead to an increase in shock volumes administered to the alleged competitor on this task. For women, it was postulated that physical force would not be represented as a functional behavioral script for sexually narcissistic females and, in line with this hypothesis, no effects were found for women. The results were discussed with regard to the underlying processes of SN and the importance of an individual difference perspective in sex-aggression links.

Within the scope of judicial decisions, approaches to distinguish between true and fabricated statements have been of particular importance since ancient times. Although methods focusing on "prototypical" deceptive behavior (e.g., psychophysiological phenomena, nonverbal cues) have largely been rejected with regard to validity, content-based techniques constitute a promising approach and are well established within the applied forensic context. The basic idea of this approach is that experience-based and nonexperience-based statements differ in their content-related quality. In order to test the validity of the most prominent content-based techniques, criteria-based content analysis (CBCA) and reality monitoring (RM), we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis on English- and German-language studies. Based on a variety of decision criteria, 56 studies were included revealing an overall effect size of g = 1.03 (95% confidence interval [0.78, 1.27], Q = 420.06, p < .001, I2 = 92.48%, N = 3,429). There was no significant difference in the effectiveness of CBCA and RM. Additionally, we investigated a number of moderator variables, such as characteristics of participants, statements, and judgment procedures, as well as general study characteristics. Results showed that the application of all CBCA criteria outperformed any incomplete CBCA criteria set. Furthermore, statement classification based on discriminant functions revealed higher discrimination rates than decisions based on sum scores. Finally, unpublished studies showed higher effect sizes than studies published in peer-reviewed journals. All results are discussed in terms of their significance for future research (e.g., developing standardized decision rules) and practical application (e.g., user training, applying complete criteria set). (PsycINFO Database Record

Three studies investigated the correspondence between implicit and explicit self–concepts of intelligence and how that correspondence is related to performance on different intelligence tests. Configurations of these two self–concepts were found to be consistently related to performance on intelligence tests in all three studies. For individuals who self–reported high intelligence (high explicit self–concept), a negative implicit self–concept (measured with the Implicit Association Test) led to a decrease in performance on intelligence tests. For participants whose self–report indicated a low self–concept of intelligence, positive automatic associations between the self and intelligence had a similar effect. In line with a stress hypothesis, the results indicate that any discrepant configuration of self–concepts will impair performance. Importantly, the prediction of performance on intelligence tests by the self–concept of intelligence was shown to be independent of self–esteem (Study 3). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The current research presents an adapted Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP) to assess the aspects of the relational schema of romantic partners that are difficult to verbalize and tests the prediction that a positive implicit image of the partner constitutes a psychological resource that increases well-being. In Study 1, the partner-AMP predicted well-being in student participants even after controlling for explicit partner attitudes and socially desirable responding. In Study 2, the partner-AMP was assessed in women with a recent history of physical abuse and a control group. As expected, the partner-AMP was related to group membership and predicted well-being over and above explicit partner attitudes and battering experience. The results are compatible with the notion of an implicit secure base schema.

In an attempt to account for the impact of emotion on cognition, Baddeley (2007) proposed the existence of a hedonic detection system. Malfunctioning of this system was assumed to play a crucial role in depression. Exploring this hypothesis requires a simple and rapid way of assessing the neutral point of proposed hedonic detector. We describe two experiments that aim to develop such a method of investigating this system. Both are based on the assumption that the hedonic judgement of simple stimuli will be influenced by the valence of an induced mood. Experiment 1 showed that a negative mood leads to the more negative evaluation of words than the positive mood. Experiment 2 also includes a neutral condition and the evaluation of words, pictures, and faces. In each case the negative mood led to lower hedonic ratings, whereas no difference was found between neutral and positive moods. Implications for further investigating the hypothetical hedonic detector are discussed.

The present research examined the hypothesis that positive implicit attitudes toward a former romantic partner might be detrimental to well-being as these attitudes lead to more suffering. In a cross-sectional study (N = 144), implicit ex-partner attitudes measured with an Affect Misattribution Procedure were negatively related to well-being only for those participants who had not found a new partner after breakup. In contrast, positive explicit ex-partner attitudes were related to greater well-being, again only for those who were still alone. Contrary to the view that time will heal all wounds, the current research suggests that engaging with a new partner will make both implicit and explicit ex-partner attitudes irrelevant. One of the most fundamental constructs of relationship psychology is the mental representation of the relationship that has been identified as the “internal working model” in attachment theory (Bowlby, 1973), or “relational schema” (Baldwin, 1992) in the more recent relationship psychology anchored in social cognition. The relational schema combines relationship-specific mental representations of the self, of the relationship partner, and of the if–then contingencies that form relationship-specific behavior patterns. From the early days of relationship research reaching back to Freud (1917), to the more recent variants of object relation theory from Bowlby (1969, 1973) to Westen (1991), scholars of personal relationships have postulated that relational schemas are partially unconscious or can be activated outside of awareness, but can nevertheless influence affect, self-esteem