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The article by Flatt and Hewitt (2006) highlights a number of important issues in the study of perfectionism and rightly urges caution against simplistic conceptualizations. Their view that the term "perfectionism" should be reserved for pathological forms of behavior is questionable, though understandable given the perspective from which they view it. But whatever the terminology used, the underlying processes remain unaffected. Relevance of the data they cite in support of an alleged maladaptive side to positive perfectionism, however, rests on the assumption of close parallels between self-oriented perfectionism and positive perfectionism, an assumption that may not be justified. It is important to draw attention not only to differences between the theoretical underpinnings of their and the authors' perspectives but also to points of agreement that the authors may previously have failed to make clear. The authors concur entirely with their view that clear avenues of potential research are now apparent that should serve to clarify the issues.

Antoniou, A. G., & Cooper, C. L. (2005) Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. 695 pp. ISBN 1 84376 624 8 Current work on work stress Health psychology is a [...]

Assisted dying although illegal in New Zealand, is often in the spotlight and surrounded by much debate. Moreover, while sentencing may take into account the motivation (ending of suffering) of those who assist, this is done on a case-by-case basis, with the process and resulting punishment extremely taxing on the offender psychologically, physically and emotionally. The present study explored the personal experiences of family members who had assisted with the death of a loved one and resulting consequences (legal, emotional, psychological). The goal was to explore how someone made sense of their personal experience with assisted dying. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three participants. Findings suggest that the act of assisted dying was motivated primarily by altruistic reasons, driven by empathy and compassion towards a suffering loved one. The act of assisted dying resulted in unforeseeable life-changing events such as imprisonment, activism for legalisation of euthanasia, and loss of significant relationships. The overall experience was characterised by coping strategies, predominantly negative emotional states, and a deliberate defiance of established legal and medical systems. Participants represented a sub-group of altruistic offenders. Findings draw attention to the four principles of medical ethics - autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice in relation to assisted dying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that health-promoting storylines in developed nations' fictional television programs can have a beneficial impact on viewers' beliefs, attitudes, intentions, or behaviors. The sizes of the effects are generally modest; however, the audience reach is substantial. Given thatmany fictional programs may hold the prolonged attention of millions of viewers, it is of value to examine potential strategies for enhancing the persuasive impact of their health-promoting storylines. Complementary public service announcementsmay be a promising strategy. This randomized experimental study (N = 310) examined the effects of viewing a complementary public service announcement after an organ donation story in an episode of Grey's Anatomy. Results indicated that the public service announcement enhanced the beneficial impact of the story on viewers' discussion behavior (about one's organ donor wishes), discussion intention, and perceived learning. This experimental study is the first to examine the effects of viewing a non-character public service announcement after a health-related storyline in a developed nation's fictional program compared to viewing the same episode of the program on its own. It is important for future research to examine whether these findings replicate for different health issues and with a nationally representative sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]