Exploring asynchrony as a theoretical framework for understanding giftedness : A case of cognitive dissonance?
- Authors: Andronaco, Julie , Shute, Rosalyn , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Roeper Review Vol. 36, no. 4 (2014), p. 264-272
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- Description: Asynchrony is a theoretical construct that views the intellectually gifted child as inherently vulnerable because of disparities arising from the mismatch between his or her chronological age and mental age. Such disparities, for example, between wanting to belong but being intellectually out of step with peers, are said to give rise to a psychological experience of discomfort or tension and to impact upon developing self-concept. Though the theory has been little subjected to empirical research, it does bear strong similarities to the well-established, but broader-based, psychological theory of cognitive dissonance. This article develops a model of asynchrony as a particular case of cognitive dissonance. As such, it may assist understanding of some children’s experiences of giftedness, though more research is needed to examine this theory. © , Copyright © The Roeper Institute.
Declining melatonin levels and older people. How old is old?
- Authors: Graham, D. , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Neuroendocrinology Letters Vol. 25, no. 6 (2004), p. 415-418
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- Description: Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether melatonin levels in older cohorts within the 'aged' population were significantly lower than in younger 'aged' individuals and hence point to a possible confound in cross-sectional studies which group individuals over 55 in one category. Setting and design: Melatonin levels of 35 North Queensland residents over 55 years of age living in an aged-care facility, a retirement village or the general community were compared across three age groups. Methods: Subjects were ten 56-65 year olds, eighteen 66-75 year olds and seven over-75 year olds. Information was obtained on sleep, awakening, medical conditions and medications, with subsequent exclusion of those with known medical conditions and/or medications. Melatonin was collected by salivary samples at 2200 hours and concentrations were determined by immunoassay. Results: Mean melatonin levels were significantly lower (p=.03) in the 'oldest' (over 75 yrs) group compared to the 'youngest' (56-65 yrs) group. Main findings: The results of this preliminary study indicate that within the older population, melatonin levels appear to decline significantly with age. Conclusions: Future studies of melatonin and ageing may benefit from a longitudinal approach, with older subjects sampled across time. Copyright © Neuroendocrinology Letters.
- Description: C1
Understanding male domestic partner abusers
- Authors: Gregory, Raeleene , Richards, Jeffrey , McLachlan, Angus , Scott, Wayne
- Date: 2004
- Type: Report
- Relation: Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice No. 283
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- Description: Research in the past decade has found that certain ways of responding to domestic partner abusers, particularly psycho-educational approaches, can be effective in modifying abusive behaviours. The study described in this paper sought to classify male domestic partner abusers by certain identified characteristics and determine whether they responded differently to a Men's Behaviour Change Program conducted by community agencies in regional Victoria. It was found that some types of male abusers appeared to derive greater benefits from the standard 12-week program than others. Those with antisocial personality disorders tended not to respond favourably. Further research work is now required to identify interventions that will be successful with abusers who have significant antisocial personalities.
Sexual orientation, sense of belonging and depression in Australian men
- Authors: Jude, Belinda , McLaren, Suzanne , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Men's Health Vol. 6, no. 3 (2007), p. 259-272
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- Description: This research examined whether a sense of belonging in the community and sexual orientation were associated with depression among men. Australian heterosexual (n=136) and gay (n=137) men wre recruited through a variety of media, including newpapers, radio, and email, and directly at public events and in the street. Responses on the Sense of Belonging Instrument and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales indicated that gay ment reported lower levels of sense of belonging to the community and higher levels of depression compared with heterosexual men. Results revealed that sense of belonging to the community mediated the relation between sexual orientation and depression. The findings did not support the additive or moderation models. The results imply that, for the mental health of gay men to improve, their sense of belonging needs to increase but that a reduction in the level of homophobia in the general community would seem necessary for this to occur.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003005759
From Mardi Gras to Manangatang : Sense of belonging and mental health in Australian men as a function of sexual orientation
- Authors: Jude, Belinda , McLaren, Suzanne , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Psychology Vol. 55, no. (2003), p. 187
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Experiences of difference : A phenomenological study with intellectually gifted pre-adolescent/early adolescent boys and their mothers
- Authors: King, Julie , Shute, Rosalyn , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Roeper Review-a Journal on Gifted Education Vol. 41, no. 3 (2019), p. 185-198
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- Description: Within a theoretical framework of cognitive dissonance, this phenomenological study explored Australian intellectually gifted pre-adolescent/early adolescents' experiences of asynchrony. The study focuses on mothers and sons. Eleven boys aged 10 to 14 years, and nine of their mothers, participated in semi-structured interviews. Seven boys reported feelings of difference, but these were generally vague. One reported strongly upsetting feelings of difference, while several evaluated difference as positive. All mothers believed their sons had experienced strong feelings of difference, emphasizing friendship rather than academic matters, though children raised both. Despite most reporting only mild feelings of difference, boys, as well as mothers, articulated efforts to minimize these feelings. Although this sometimes caused a sense of inauthenticity, the data suggest that parents' and boys' own efforts to accommodate their needs had largely succeeded and left most boys well-adjusted.
Elements of sensation seeking and their relationship with two aspects of humour appreciation - Perceived funniness and overt expression
- Authors: Lourey, Emma , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 35, no. 2 (2003), p. 227-287
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- Description: The relationship between sensation seeking and the variables of perceived funniness of humour and overt expression of humour was investigated. The Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking [AISS; Arnett, Personality and Individual differences 16 (1994) 289] and two experimental variants of the Situational Humour Response Questionnaire (Martin & Lefcourt, 1984) were administered to 186 students aged between 18 and 47 years. Results revealed that, compared to low sensation seekers, high sensation seekers reported perceiving a variety of situations as being more funny and displaying more overt expression of humour in those situations. Additionally, partial correlation analyses indicated that self-assessments of overt expression of humour were significantly related to scores on the intensity sub-scale of the AISS but not with scores on the novelty sub-scale. The situation was reversed for perceived funniness, with a significant partial correlation between scores on that sub-scale and those on the novelty sub-scale but no partial correlation between intensity and perceived funniness. It was concluded that perceiving events as being funny offered sensation seekers a novel source of stimulation and that displaying overt expression of humour offered sensation seekers an additional mode of experiencing intense stimulation. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
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- Description: 2003000468
Parents? You are kidding!
- Authors: Marchesani, Charmaine , McLaren, Suzanne , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Psychology Vol. 55, no. (2003), p. 194
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Cognitive Specificity in Trait Anger in Relation to Depression and Anxiety in a Community Sample
- Authors: Maud, Monica , Shute, Rosalyn , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Psychologist Vol. 47, no. 4 (2012), p. 254-261
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- Description: The current research explored 16 of Young's schemas in relation to trait anger and to anxiety and depression symptoms among 262 non-clinical Australian adults with low-level symptomatology and average anger levels. The study partially replicated previous work with a sample of Spanish students that investigated the relationship between anger, depression, and anxiety and Young's schemas. Predictions derived from Beck's notion of cognitive specificity were examined using structural equation modelling and showed that of the sixteen schemas, Vulnerability was linked to anxiety, Social Isolation and Enmeshment were linked to depression, and Entitlement, Insufficient Self-Control, Mistrust and Abuse, Subjugation (negatively), and Abandonment were linked to anger. The discrepancies between these and the Spanish findings and the difficulties of other researchers in establishing higher order aggregations of Young's schemas prompted further consideration of the range of such schemas with respect to anger, depression, and anxiety, and the possibility that sample characteristics may play a critical role in determining the varying affect-schema relationships. © 2011 The Australian Psychological Society.
- Description: 2003010575
"That Whole Macho Male Persona Thing" : The role of insults in young Australian male friendships
- Authors: McDiarmid, Emily , Gill, Peter , McLachlan, Angus , Ali, Lutfiye
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Psychology of Men & Masculinity Vol. 18, no. 4 (2017), p. 352-360
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- Description: Same-sex friendship can increase an individual's health, happiness, and sense of social connectedness. To date, few studies have explored young men's accounts of their friendships and the communication strategies within close male friendships. The present qualitative study explored the ways in which 7 young, White, heterosexual, working/middle-class men from rural Victoria construct their understanding of their friendships and the discursive strategies used to signify meaning, specifically the role of insults, in close male friendships. Drawing on tools from discursive theory, thematic analysis of the data demonstrated that discursive strategies including insults, silences, and direct interrogation were used to signify closeness, gratefulness, concern, and masculinity and dominance. These discursive strategies are informed by hegemonic representations of masculinity, which the young men negotiate within everyday interactions with close male friends. The findings further support past research that suggests that in the absence of explicit verbal expression of closeness, male friendships can be intimate and psychosocially significant. It is suggested that health promotion in men should focus on informal spaces where men can enjoy each other's company. By exploring the breadth of communication styles and strategies of men, we are better equipped to understand men's needs.
The relationship between familiarity, gender, disagreement, and status and bouts of solitary and joint laughter
- Authors: McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Current Psychology Vol. 42, no. 29 (2023), p. 25730-25744
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- Description: The current research treated laughter as an indexical with two closely allied properties: to designate talk as non-serious and to serve as a mode of address signalling a preference for solidarity. These properties gave rise to four discrete forms of laughter bout, solitary speaker, solitary listener, speaker-initiated joint, and listener-initiated joint laughter, which were examined using 55 same-gender pairs discussing three choice dilemma items. By exploring the associations between the wider contextual factors of familiarity, gender, disagreement and status, and the frequencies of each form of bout within the dyad, it was hoped to establish whether laughter was related to how participants modulated their social relationships. Neither familiarity nor disagreement had any effect on any of the forms of laughter bout, while females were found to demonstrate higher frequencies of joint speaker laughter than males. In unequal status pairs, high status female staff joined in the laughter of their low status female student interlocutors less often than the reverse, a finding comparable with the exchange of other terms of address, such as second person pronouns in European languages. It was concluded that joint laughter was a signal of solidarity and solitary speaker laughter was a declared preference for solidarity, but the significance of solitary listener laughter, beyond an acknowledgement of the speaker’s non-serious talk, remained less clear. It was also noted that norms associated with the setting and topic of interaction were influential in determining the extent to which laughter would be used to modulate the relationships between interlocutors. © 2022, The Author(s).
Housing type and depressive symptoms among older adults: a test of sense of belonging as a mediating and moderating variable
- Authors: McLaren, Suzanne , Turner, Jayne , Gomez, Rapson , McLachlan, Angus , Gibbs, Petah
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Aging & Mental Health Vol. 17, no. 8 (November 2013), p. 1023-1029
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- Description: Objectives: Higher levels of depression have been documented among older adults who reside in an assisted living facility, compared with those who remain in their own homes. The aims of the current study were to test whether the relationship between housing type and depressive symptoms was mediated by a sense of belonging and whether housing type and sense of belonging interact to influence the depressive symptoms among older adults (moderation model).Method: A sample of 257 older adults who lived in their own homes and 166 older adults who lived in an assisted living facility completed the psychological subscale of the Sense of Belonging Instrument and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.Results: Results showed that a sense of belonging partially mediated the relationship between housing type and depressive symptoms, such that living in a nursing home was associated with lower levels of belonging, and lower levels of belonging were, in turn, associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Residing in an assisted living facility was associated with depressive symptoms at low and average levels of belonging.Conclusion: Results highlight the need for more research on the role of sense of belonging as an influencing factor on depressive symptoms among institutionalised older adults for both theoretical and treatment goals.
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Sense of belonging to the general and gay communities as predictors of depression among Australian Gay Men
- Authors: McLaren, Suzanne , Jude, Belinda , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Men's Health Vol. 7, no. 1 (2008), p. 90-99
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- Description: Sense of belonging has been regarded as important for mental health. This study investigated sense of belonging to the general community and sense of belonging to the gay community as predictors of depression among self-identified Australian gay men (N = 137). Participants completed the Psychological subscale of the Sense of Belonging Instrument and the Depression subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Results offered support for the additive model and suggested that sense of belonging to the general community partially mediated the relation between sense of belonging to the gay community and depression, as well as the reverse, that sense of belonging to the gay community partially mediated the relation between sense of belonging to the general community and depression. Findings failed to support a moderation effect model. Results indicate that increasing a sense of belonging to both communities will be associated with a decrease in levels of depression reported by gay men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Men's Health is the property of Men's Studies Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Young, gay and suicidal : Who cares?
- Authors: Molloy, Mari , McLaren, Suzanne , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Psychology Vol. 55, no. (2003), p. 198
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Sense of belonging to specific communities and depressive symptoms among Australian gay men
- Authors: Morris, Simon , McLaren, Suzanne , McLachlan, Angus , Jenkins, Megan
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Homosexuality Vol.62 , no.6 (2015), p.804-820
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- Description: Sense of belonging to the general and broader gay communities has been shown to be beneficial for gay men’s mental health. This research investigated the interrelations between sense of belonging to three forms of gay community (the broader gay community, gay groups, and gay friends), sense of belonging to the general community, and depressive symptoms by examining a path model. A community sample of 177 gay men, aged 18 to 79 years, completed the Sense of Belonging Instrument–Psychological subscale, the Centre for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale, and the Sense of Belonging within Gay Communities Scale. The model provided excellent fit to the data in which sense of belonging to the general community mediated the relationships between a sense of belonging to gay groups and with gay friends and depressive symptoms. Results imply that enhancing gay men’s sense of belonging to gay groups and with gay friends is likely to be associated with fewer depressive symptoms, by virtue of their enhanced sense of belonging to the general community.
The attitudes of Australian heterosexuals toward same-sex parents
- Authors: Morse, Charmaine , McLaren, Suzanne , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of GLBT Family Studies Vol. 3, no. 4 (2007), p. 425-455
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- Description: This is the first study of attitudes of Australian heterosexuals toward heterosexual, gay male, and lesbian parents and the children raised by these parents. A sample of Australian heterosexual males and females read one of six vignettes describing a family situation. Participants assessed the parents' emotional stability, responsibility, and competence; how loving, sensitive, and nurturing they were; the amount of quality time they spent with their child; and their ability to be good role models. Results indicated participants held negative attitudes toward gay male and lesbian same-sex parents. Participants believed that children raised by same-sex parents are more likely to experience confusion over their sexual orientation and gender identity, more likely to be homosexual, and more likely to experience strained peer relationships as well as stigma and teasing than children raised by heterosexual parents. Level of sexual prejudice was the key predictor of attitudes toward same-sex parents and the expected outcomes for their children. Being male, older, and having fewer children were additional predictors of attitudes towards same-sex parents, whereas being older and less religiouswas associatedwith expected negative outcomes for the children. Substantial attitudinal shifts are required before gay male and lesbian parents and their children are fully accepted into Australian communities.
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- Description: 2003005756
Sense of belonging as a predictor of mental and physical health in regional university staff
- Authors: Oldfield, Stuart , McLaren, Suzanne , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Psychology Vol. 55, no. (2003), p. 201
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A self-categorization theory perspective on adolescent boys’ sexual bullying of girls
- Authors: Page, Elysia , Shute, Rosalyn , McLachlan, Angus
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Vol. 30, no. 3 (2015), p. 371-383
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- Description: This preliminary study applied Self-Categorization Theory (SCT) to the sexual bullying of high school girls by boys. Seventy-five Year 9 boys responded to vignettes portraying sexual bullying in which gender was a more or a less salient feature of the social context described. As predicted, boys were more likely to engage in sexual bullying when gender was more salient. Masculine sex role was not correlated with engagement in sexual bullying. Controlling for social desirability, pro-bullying attitude was predictive of such engagement, but only when the social context rendered gender less salient. This suggests the power of the perceived social context for determining which individual characteristics will gain expression. It is concluded that SCT is a promising avenue for advancing understanding of bullying, a field of research that has previously largely lacked a theoretical focus. © The Author(s) 2014.
The longitudinal effects of midwife-led postnatal debriefing on the psychological health of mothers
- Authors: Selkirk, Rosemary , McLaren, Suzanne , Ollerenshaw, Alison , McLachlan, Angus , Moten, Julie
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology Vol. 24, no. 2 (2006), p. 133-147
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- Description: To assess the effect of midwife-led postpartum debriefing on psychological variables, 149 women were recruited in the third trimester of their pregnancy and were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. Women in the treatment group received midwife-led postpartum debriefing within 3 days postpartum, whereas women in the control group did not receive formalised debriefing. Background information and psychological variables were assessed in the prepartum, and birthing information was gathered 2 days postpartum. The psychological variables, plus a measure of birth trauma, were re-assessed at 1 month, and again, together with a measure of parenting stress, at 3 months postpartum. Although the majority of women reported positively on their debriefing experience, statistical analyses indicated that only on the measure of dyadic satisfaction was there some suggestion that debriefing was effective. There were no significant differences between the treatment and control groups on measures of personal information, depression, anxiety, trauma, perception of the birth, or parenting stress at any assessment points, postpartum. On the other hand, the effect of medical intervention on women's perceptions of their birthing was evident, with women who experienced more medical intervention reporting more negative perceptions of their birthing than women who had experienced less medical intervention. Surprisingly, this difference was more marked among the women who had been debriefed than among the control group. Generally, the results did not support midwife-led debriefing as an effective intervention postpartum. © 2006 Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology.
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- Description: 2003001984
The longitudinal effects of midwife-led postnatal debriefing on the psychological health of mothers
- Authors: Selkirk, Rosemary , McLaren, Suzanne , Ollerenshaw, Alison , McLachlan, Angus , Moten, Julie
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Transitions theory p. 590-602
- Full Text: false
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- Description: To assess the effect of midwife-led postpartum debriefing on psychological variables, 149 women were recruited in the third trimester of their pregnancy and were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. Women in the treatment group received midwife-led postpartum debriefing within 3 days postpartum, whereas women in the control group did not receive formalised debriefing. Background information and psychological variables were assessed in the prepartum, and birthing information was gathered 2 days postpartum. The psychological variables, plus a measure of birth trauma, were re-assessed at 1 month, and again, together with a measure of parenting stress, at 3 months postpartum. Although the majority of women reported positively on their debriefing experience, statistical analyses indicated that only on the measure of dyadic satisfaction was there some suggestion that debriefing was effective. There were no significant differences between the treatment and control groups on measures of personal information, depression, anxiety, trauma, perception of the birth, or parenting stress at any assessment points, postpartum. On the other hand, the effect of medical intervention on women's perceptions of their birthing was evident, with women who experienced more medical intervention reporting more negative perceptions of their birthing than women who had experienced less medical intervention. Surprisingly, this difference was more marked among the women who had been debriefed than among the control group. Generally, the results did not support midwife-led debriefing as an effective intervention postpartum. © Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology.