Article 1: Gopalkrishnan, N., & Babacan, H. (2015). Cultural diversity and mental health. Australasian Psychiatry, 23(Suppl 6), 6–8. doi:10.1177/1039856215609769

Abstract: Cultural diversity and its impact on mental health have become an increasingly important issue in a globalized world where the interactions between cultures continue to grow exponentially. This article presents critical areas in which culture impacts on mental health, such as how health and illness are perceived, coping styles, treatment-seeking patterns; impacts of history, racism, bias, and stereotyping; gender; family; stigma; and discrimination. While cultural differences provide a number of challenges to mental health policy and practice, they also provide a number of opportunities to work in unique and effective ways toward positive mental health. Ethno-specific approaches to mental health that incorporate traditional and community-based systems can provide new avenues for working with culturally diverse populations.

Questions to Consider:

1. Chapter one in our textbook discussed how a disconnect between one’s identity and how others view your social group can hurt well-being. How does the information in this article support this tenet?
2. Discuss the factors that influence treatment-seeking behaviors discussed in the article.
3. Why must cultural considerations be important when planning for mental health interventions and treatments?

Article 2:  Phinney, J. S., Jacoby, B., & Silva, C. (2007). Positive intergroup attitudes: The role of ethnic identity. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 31(5), 478–490. doi:10.1177/0165025407081466

Abstract: Developmental theory suggests that a well-developed ethnic identity serves as a secure position which allows people to be more open and accepting to people from other ethnic groups. To examine this prediction, two studies were carried out. In Study 1, 713 college freshmen from four ethnic groups were surveyed regarding positive attitudes toward other groups and were assigned to ethnic identity statuses on the basis of scores on the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (Phinney, 1992). The results showed that Asian American and Latino students with an achieved ethnic identity reported significantly more positive attitudes toward other groups than did those in ethnic identity diffusion. Study 2 used qualitative methods with 124 adolescents from five ethnic groups. Ethnic identity and intergroup attitudes were assessed with open-ended questions regarding views of one's own ethnicity and experiences with other ethnic groups. Results showed that ethnic identity achieved adolescents, compared to diffuse adolescents, gave responses indicating greater awareness and understanding of intergroup relations. Overall, the results provide evidence that a secure ethnic identity is associated with positive intergroup attitudes and mature intercultural thinking.

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you think that a secure sense of ethnic identity facilitates one’s ability to have positive attitudes toward other groups?
2. Chapter 1 discussed three ideological approaches to diversity: the melting pot, multiculturalism, and color-blind. Thinking about the results of the studies in this article, which ideological approach seems to best facilitate positive intergroup attitudes?
3. Thinking about your own ethnic identity, discuss the process that you went through in achieving it in relation to the process discussed in the article.

Article 1: Crandall, C. S., Bahns, A. J., Warner, R., & Schaller, M. (2011). Stereotypes as justifications of prejudice. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(11), 1488–1498. doi:10.1177/0146167211411723

Abstract: Three experiments investigate how stereotypes form as justifications for prejudice. The authors created novel content-free prejudices toward unfamiliar social groups using either subliminal (Experiment 1, N = 79) or supraliminal (Experiment 2, N = 105; Experiment 3, N = 130) affective conditioning and measured the consequent endorsement of stereotypes about the groups. Following the stereotype content model, analyses focused on the extent to which stereotypes connoted warmth or competence. Results from all three experiments revealed effects on the warmth dimension but not on the competence dimension: Groups associated with negative affect were stereotyped as comparatively cold (but not comparatively incompetent). These results provide the first evidence that—in the absence of information, interaction, or history of behavioral discrimination—stereotypes develop to justify prejudice.

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do the authors believe that stereotypes regarding warmth emerged but not stereotypes regarding competence?
2. What methodologies did the researchers use to create the stereotypes?
3. As mentioned in the article, stereotypes serve both a knowledge function and a justification function. How can you relate this to the chapter’s discussion of the just-world hypothesis and our use of social categorization?

Article 2: van den Berg, Y. H. M., Burk, W. J., & Cillessen, A. H. (2015). Identifying subtypes of peer status by combining popularity and preference. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 35(8), 1108–1137. doi:10.1177/0272431614554704

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify and validate subtypes of peer status by integrating preference and popularity into a single framework. Person-oriented analyses were performed among 3,630 children and adolescents of different cohorts in primary and secondary education. In the young age-groups (Grade 3/4 to Grade 7), three clusters were found: popular-liked, average, and unpopular-disliked. In the older age-group (Grade 8), four clusters were found: popular, liked, average, and unpopular-disliked. Thus, participants differentiated liked peers from popular peers at the age of 14, but not earlier. Distinct behavioral profiles were found for each subtype. Cohort-sequential analyses demonstrated high stability of cluster membership, especially among the high-status groups. Developmental implications and the importance of school transitions are discussed.

Questions to Consider:

1. This research demonstrates that children develop additional peer social categories as they get older. Based upon what you read in Chapter 2, what socialization experiences facilitate subtype social category formation?
2. The article discusses the perceived behavioral characteristics for each subtype. Chapter 2 discussed how we tend to attribute out-group behavior to inner, dispositional causes. What dispositional characteristics were associated with each subtype?
3. Chapter 2 discussed how out-groups are perceived as homogenous, while in-groups are perceived as heterogeneous. How did the social categorization of peer groups shift in terms of perceived homogeneity with the addition of another peer group subtype?

Article 1: Dragojevic, M., Sink, A., & Mastro, D. (2016). Evidence of linguistic intergroup bias in U.S. print news coverage of immigration. Journal of Language and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/0261927x16666884

Abstract: This study content analyzed all print newspaper articles addressing U.S. immigration from Mexico appearing in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas during a 1-year period for presence of linguistic intergroup bias. Across all four states, negative statements outnumbered positive statements; this negativity bias was more pronounced for out-group than in-group statements in all states except California. Consistent with the linguistic intergroup bias, positive in-group and negative out-group statements were encoded using more abstract language than negative in-group and positive out-group statements.

Questions to Consider:

1. Chapter 3 discussed how conversations were prone to linguistic intergroup bias, while this article demonstrates that this bias can appear in written communication as well. We believe that conversational linguistic intergroup bias facilitates in-group cohesiveness and consensus. What purpose could written linguistic intergroup bias serve?
2. How would you summarize the overall findings of this research study? How can you relate these findings to the material in Chapter 3?
3. This article looked at Latino immigrants as the out-group. What other out-groups do you feel that the mainstream media portrays in a negative light?

Article 2: Hetsroni, A. (2012). Associations between television viewing and love styles: An interpretation using cultivation theory 1. Psychological Reports, 110(1), 35–50. doi:10.2466/17.pr0.110.1.35-50

Abstract: This study evaluated the associations between television viewing and love styles. The Love Attitudes Scale (LAS), based on Lee's love style taxonomy, was administered to a sample of 338 unmarried Israeli students along with questions about TV viewing habits, current involvement in a serious romantic relationship, and marital intentions. A confirmatory factor analysis of the LAS indicated that the expected six-factor solution adequately fit the data. Correlations between individual love styles and TV viewing were small to moderate, ranging from .12 to .29. Scores for Ludus love style correlated positively with viewing of news and general programming. Those for Pragma love style correlated positively with news viewing and negatively with viewing genres frequently including love themes such as soap operas and family drama, while scores for Eros love style positively correlated with watching these love abundant genres. No significant association was found for TV viewing with Storge, Mania, and Agape love styles. Hierarchical regression using demographic variables, love status, and viewing habits mirrored these results, with the unique R² for Ludus, Pragma, and Eros ranging from 1.8% to 8%, while the total variance accounted for by the models ranged from 12% to 21%. The findings can be interpreted as support for a weak cultivation effect, in which habits in long-term TV viewing among young adults correspond to small to moderate tendencies for particular love styles that thematically relate them. However, because they are correlational, the findings could equally be interpreted in terms of tendencies that exist due to modeling within families and socialization during development.

Questions to Consider:

1. Chapter 3 discussed how women, ethnic minorities, and members of the LGBT community are often underrepresented on television and are often depicted stereotypically. Do you feel that television accurately depicts love styles and relationships? Why or why not? If it doesn’t provide an accurate portrayal, how could this contribute to stereotypes about relationships?
2. How does this research demonstrate the cultivation hypothesis discussed in Chapter 3?
3. Beyond the cultivation effect, how may television contribute to the development of expectations in relationships? If television models these expectations and subsequent outcomes, how may television influence self-fulfilling prophecies for relationship outcomes?

Article 1: Robinson, R. A., & Gadd, D. (2015). Annihilation anxiety and crime. Theoretical Criminology, 20(2), 185–204. doi:10.1177/1362480615594872

This article explores the psychoanalytic construct of annihilation anxiety in order to develop a more thoroughgoing engagement between criminological theory and contemporary psychoanalysis. Though a few criminologists have commented on crime, scapegoating, and retribution using classic psychoanalytic ideas, we bring Hurvich’s current empirical work on annihilation anxiety to the discourse. Beginning with his definition of annihilation anxiety as ‘fears of being overwhelmed, merged, penetrated, fragmented, and destroyed’, we apply Hurvich’s measures to reactions to crime and insecurity and interpersonal, collective and international crime. We discuss doing criminology interpretively, applied to the dynamic connections between crime and reactions to it, including political and policy responses. We conclude that criminologists could and should help distinguish between potential and imminent threats, to advance a post-positivist approach to crime and other security threats. We argue that such an approach moves criminology toward a social science more humane and pragmatic for its conscious engagement with unconscious fears harboured amidst the purportedly rational calculi of justice.

Questions to Consider:

1. How can you relate the construct of annihilation anxiety to the terror management theory discussed in Chapter 4?
2. The article discusses both potential threat (or basic danger) and present danger. Which of these perceived dangers do you feel play a greater role in prejudicial attitudes and behaviors?
3. What role do unconscious attitudes play in prejudicial attitudes and hate crimes?

Article 2: Macinnis, C. C., & Page-Gould, E. (2015). How can intergroup interaction be bad if intergroup contact is good? Exploring and reconciling an apparent paradox in the science of intergroup relations. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(3), 307–327. doi:10.1177/1745691614568482

Abstract: The outcomes of social interactions among members of different groups (e.g., racial groups, political groups, sexual orientation groups) have long been of interest to psychologists. Two related literatures on the topic have emerged—the intergroup interaction literature and the intergroup contact literature—in which divergent conclusions have been reported. Intergroup interaction is typically found to have negative effects tied to intergroup bias, producing heightened stress, intergroup anxiety, or outgroup avoidance, whereas intergroup contact is typically found to have positive effects tied to intergroup bias, predicting lower intergroup anxiety and lower prejudice. We examine these paradoxical findings, proposing that researchers contributing to the two literatures are examining different levels of the same phenomenon and that methodological differences can account for the divide between the literatures. Further, we introduce a mathematical model by which the findings of the two literatures can be reconciled. We believe that adopting this model will streamline thinking in the field and will generate integrative new research in which investigators examine how a person’s experiences with diversity unfold.

Questions to Consider:

1. Compare and contrast intergroup interaction and intergroup contact and their associated outcomes.
2. How does the article explain the disparate outcomes between intergroup interaction and intergroup contact?
3. How can you relate this article to the part in Chapter 4 discussing using prejudice to define and defend ourselves?

Article 1: Dambrun, M., & Taylor, D. M. (2013). The counterintuitive association between life satisfaction and racism. SAGE Open, 3(3). doi:10.1177/2158244013505756

Abstract: Research in social psychology has long established that racism emerges when people are threatened or confront negative experiences (e.g., economic deprivation). An implicit assumption is that, conversely, positive experiences will be associated with greater tolerance. Using national surveys, the present study contradicts this common sense expectation by revealing that life satisfaction is also positively related to racism. Consistent with relative gratification theory, two psychological processes may partially account for this counterintuitive effect: increased national pride and endorsement of status quo ideologies that support the advantages enjoyed by those who receive benefits from the society (i.e., political conservatism).

Questions to Consider:

1. How does this article explain that both negative and positive experiences are related to an increase in racism?
2. How does Relative Gratification Theory help explain the positive correlation between life satisfaction and racism?
3. How can you relate the information in chapter five to this article?

Article 2: Wigerfelt, A., & Wigerfelt, B. (2016). Media images and experiences of being a Jew in the Swedish City of Malmö. SAGE Open, 6(1). doi:10.1177/2158244016633739

Abstract: A series of high-profile incidents in and after 2008 placed Malmö in southern Sweden on the national and international map as a place that was unsafe for people identified as Jews. The primary aim of this article is to explore and exemplify what it is like to live with Jewish identity in Malmö within a framework of how the media reports anti-Semitism and how this group copes with being the potential target of anti-Semitic harassment and hate crime. Based on interviews with people with Jewish identity in Malmö, we analyze and discuss their experiences using different themes, such as violent and everyday anti-Semitism, the local impact of the Israel–Palestine conflict, how media images affect their lives, and how exposure and vulnerability are dealt with. The findings are important in terms of both possible long-term measures against anti-Semitism and as immediate support for those targeted.

Questions to Consider:

1. What forms of racism and prejudice have the Jewish people in Sweden faced in recent years?
2. How has media coverage influenced Jewish racism?
3. How can the material in this article be related to the material in Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5?

Article 1: Cihangir, S., Barreto, M., & Ellemers, N. (2014). Men as allies against sexism. SAGE Open, 4(2). doi:10.1177/2158244014539168

Abstract: Sexism is often expressed in subtle and ambiguous ways, causing targets to doubt their own capabilities or to show stereotype-confirming behavior. This research examines whether the self-confidence and stereotype (dis-)confirming behavior of targets of sexism can be bolstered when other male versus female sources suggest that sexism may have played a role. Both Study 1 (N = 78) and Study 2 (N = 90) show that a suggestion of sexism has more beneficial effects when it is made by male sources than when it is made by female sources. When males suggested that sexism had taken place, targets reported more self-confidence (less self-handicapping and higher personal performance state self-esteem) and showed less stereotype confirmation (less self-stereotyping and better task performance) than when sexism was suggested by a female source. Study 2 additionally revealed that targets are more likely to file a complaint when men suggest that sexism took place than when this same suggestion was made by women. These results indicate that men can constitute important allies against sexism if they speak out when sexist treatment takes place.

Questions to Consider:

1. How do the authors explain the fact that women will use less self-handicapping and less self-stereotyping if a male suggests sexism took place as opposed to a female making the suggestion?
2. How do the authors explain the fact that women will experience a decrease in self-esteem if a female suggests sexism took place?
3. Does seeing men as important allies in the reporting of sexism borderline the paternalistic stereotype which underlies so much benevolent sexism? Why or why not?

Article 2: Hussain, M., Naz, A., Khan, W., Daraz, U., & Khan, Q. (2015). Gender stereotyping in family. SAGE Open, 5(3). doi:10.1177/2158244015595258

Abstract: Gender stereotyping and gender role development is one of the debatable concerns to sociologists especially those who are interested in sociology of gender. This study attempts to investigate the role of family inculcating gender stereotyping in Pakhtun culture and its impact on gender role development conducted in public sector universities of Malakand Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The data were collected through in-depth interview method using interview guide as a tool of data collection. A sample size of 24 respondents consisting male and female students and teachers (eight samples from each university through purposive sampling technique) was selected from three universities in the region, that is, University of Malakand, University of Swat, and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sharingal (main campus). The collected information has been analyzed qualitatively where primary information has been linked with secondary data for further elaboration and attainment of grounded facts. The study reveals that gender stereotyping and gender role formation are sociocultural and relational constructs, which are developed and inculcated in the institutional network, social interaction, and social relationships especially in family. The study indicated that in family sphere, gender stereotyping and gender role formation are the outcome of gender socialization, differential familial environment, and parents’ differential role with children. The study recommends that gender-balanced familial environment, adopting the strategy of gender mainstreaming and positive role of media, can overcome gender stereotyping and reduce its impacts on gender and social role formation.

Questions to Consider:

1. This research study found that family was the dominant socializing context for gender stereotypes. What sorts of socialization processes facilitate the development of these gender stereotypes?
2. Besides the family, what other contexts contributed to the development of gender stereotypes? How does this information relate to the information in Chapter 6?
3. What specific recommendations do the authors make for addressing the socialization of gender stereotypes in this culture?

Article 1: Lee, C., Oliffe, J. L., Kelly, M. T., & Ferlatte, O. (2017). Depression and suicidality in gay men. American Journal of Men's Health. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/1557988316685492

Abstract: Gay men are a subgroup vulnerable to depression and suicidality. The prevalence of depression among gay men is 3 times higher than the general adult population. Because depression is a known risk factor for suicide, gay men are also at high risk for suicidality. Despite the high prevalence of depression and suicidality, health researchers and health care providers have tended to focus on sexual health issues, most often human immunodeficiency virus in gay men. Related to this, gay men’s health has often been defined by sexual practices, and poorly understood are the intersections of gay men’s physical and mental health with social determinants of health including ethnicity, locale, education level, and socioeconomic status. In the current article summated is literature addressing risk factors for depression and suicidality among gay men including family acceptance of their sexual identities, social cohesion and belonging, internalized stigma, and victimization. Barriers to gay men’s help seeking are also discussed in detailing how health care providers might advance the well-being of this underserved subgroup by effectively addressing depression and suicidality.

Questions to Consider:

1. What are some of the reasons gay men are more vulnerable to depression and suicidality than heterosexual men?
2. Why do healthcare providers tend to focus upon physical health to the exclusion of mental health? What recommendations are made to address this gap?
3. How does the information in this article relate to the information in Chapter 7?

Article 2: Dietert, M., & Dentice, D. (2015). The transgender military experience: Their battle for workplace rights. SAGE Open, 5(2). doi:10.1177/2158244015584231

Abstract: Although there have been studies that focus on the experiences of the gay and lesbian population serving in the U.S. military, few have focused on the experience of active duty transgender service members. Transgender individuals transgress the binary conception of gender by deviating from societal gender norms associated with assigned sex at birth. The Department of Defense has set policies and standards that reflect a binary conception of gender, with a focus on conformity. We argue that able-bodied gender variant service personnel is just as capable of serving their country as anyone else. Because of the repercussions associated with active duty transgender military personnel, our sample is small and involves nine clandestine service members and two international service members who wanted to share their stories from a different perspective. Snowball sampling was aimed at finding current active duty and reserve transgender service members. Using a combination of telephone interviews and questionnaires, data were collected from active duty transgender service personnel throughout the United States and two from international militaries that allow transgender people to serve. Data collection focused on the overall experiences of the participants along with questions regarding workplace discrimination, suggestions for policy changes, and their views about the overturn of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Our findings add to a growing source of information about the transgender military experience in the U.S. armed forces and the importance of overturning discriminatory workplace policies that negatively impact transgender service members.

Questions to Consider:

1. What were some of the forms of workplace discrimination (feared or faced) explained by the participants?
2. Gender dysphoria is still technically a diagnosable mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. What role may this play in why the military is slow to change their policies to protect transgender individuals? What recommendations are made to increase their protection?
3. One question asked of the participants was how the reversal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy has affected them. What were some of their responses? Was this policy a good or poor approach to protecting transgendered individuals?

Article 1: Richard, P., Ferguson, C., Lara, A. S., Leonard, J., & Younis, M. (2014). Disparities in physician-patient communication by obesity status. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 51. doi:10.1177/0046958014557012

Abstract: This study aimed to examine variations in patient–physician communication by obesity status. We pooled data from the 2005–2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), included only individuals who completed the self-administered questionnaire themselves, and restricted the sample to patients who received care from primary care physicians. We included a total of 6,628 unique individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 who had at least one office or hospital outpatient visit during the past 12 months. There are six outcomes of interest in this study. The patient–physician communication composite score is based on five questions that the MEPS adapted from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey. The other five variables were: respect from providers, providers’ listening skills, explanations from providers, time spent with patients, and patient involvement in treatment decisions. The key independent variable was obesity. Bivariate and multivariate models such as ordinary least squares and logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between patient–physician communication and obesity status. Multivariate models showed that obese patients had a reduced physician–patient communication composite score of .19 (95% CI 0.03–0.34, p = .02), physicians’ show of respect OR 0.77 (95% CI 0.61–0.98, p = .04), listening ability OR .82 (95% CI 0.65–1.02, p = .07), and spending enough time OR .80 (95% CI 0.62–0.99, p = .04) compared to non-obese patients. We found a negative association between physician–patient communication and patients’ obesity status. These findings may inform public health practitioners in the design of effective initiatives that account for the needs and circumstances of obese individuals.

Questions to Consider:

1. Why may doctors show less respect for and spend less time with obese patients in comparison with average weight patients?
2. Chapter eight discusses weightism in the healthcare system. How does the information in this article compare and contrast with the material in the book?
3. How can the information from this study be used to improve the healthcare that obese individuals receive?

Article 2: Robison, J. I. (1999). Weight, health, and culture: Shifting the paradigm for alternative health care. Complementary Health Practice Review, 5(1), 45–69. doi:10.1177/153321019900500107

Abstract:  

Questions to Consider:

1. The below table is from the article and compares current thoughts regarding weight with an alternative paradigm. How does the current paradigm demonstrate some of the weightism stereotypes discussed in Chapter 8?

2. The below table is also from the article. How does this approach support the size acceptance information discussed in Chapter 8?

3. How can the information in this article be applied to your everyday life, regardless of your weight?

Article 1: Daly, J. M., Xu, Y., & Jogerst, G. J. (2017). Iowa dependent adult abuse prosecutions from 2006 through 2015. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/2150131916688561

Abstract: In most states, health care providers are required to report abuse. Some states provide investigation feedback/findings to the reporter. The reporters rarely know if the perpetrator is convicted. The purposes of this study are to determine the incidence of Iowa dependent adult abuse prosecutions from 2006 through 2015, the incidence of convictions, and the association between dependent adult abuse prosecutions with county census and government characteristics. Design and methods: Through the Iowa Court Information Systems, dependent adult abuse prosecution data were purchased for a 10-year time period. County demographics were obtained through the U.S. Census and government data were Iowa State Association of Counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Results: During 2006–2015, there were 368 dependent adult abuse prosecution cases accounting for 482 original charges. Exploitation greater than US$100 was the dependent adult abuse charge most frequently cited. Within the 10 years, it accounted for 60% of the original charges. Of the 482 disposed charges, 251 (52%) of the charges were dismissed. A total of 122 (14%) counts resulted in probation, 73 resulted in prison, and 37 in jail. Conclusions: For the first time, information about dependent adult abuse prosecutions in Iowa is available. The latter 5 years, 2011–2015, of dependent adult abuse prosecutions are significantly higher than the first 5 years, 2006–2010. This project encourages health care providers to report dependent adult abuse to law enforcement if appropriate as well as adult protective services

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you think prosecutions for elder abuse have increased in recent years?
2. What forms of abuse were assessed? Do you feel that the forms of abuse were comprehensive enough?
3. How do you feel the old age stereotypes discussed in Chapter 9 influences the incidence of elder abuse?

Article 2: Ruggiano, N., O’Driscoll, J., Lukic, A., & Schotthoefer, L. (2017). Work is like a therapy that prevents aging. SAGE Open, 7(1). doi:10.1177/2158244016687234

Abstract: Diversity among the older adult population is expected to increase significantly. In addition, economic, demographic, and social trends in the United States have led to growing interest in understanding attitudes, behaviors, and plans regarding retirement among middle-aged and older adults. However, there is currently little knowledge about minorities’ interests and expectations for retirement. This community-based participatory study addressed gaps in knowledge by asking a diverse sample of adults about their experiences and expectations for retirement. Data collection involved focus groups with Hispanics, Haitians, African Americans, and immigrants living in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The findings indicate that productive activity in later life was desired by participants across racial and ethnic groups, though higher income participants reported having greater opportunities for pursuing desired productive activities later in life. Implications for policy and services are discussed.

Questions to Consider:

1. Chapter 9 begins by discussing the idea of successful aging. How does this article look at the role of retirement and productivity in contributing to one’s successful aging?
2. What were the main concerns of the participants in terms of the transition from work to retirement?
3. How did the participants redefine retirement?

Article 1: Swan, H. (2016). A qualitative examination of stigma among formerly incarcerated adults living with HIV. SAGE Open, 6(1). doi:10.1177/2158244016629524

Abstract: The over-representation of people with stigmatized characteristics in the U.S. criminal justice population, including adults living with HIV, makes formerly incarcerated adults susceptible to multiple stigmas. Yet, the experience of HIV-related stigma, especially among individuals who have an additional compromising status in society (i.e., a criminal record), is understudied. This study used qualitative data from 30 interviews with formerly incarcerated adults living with HIV to explore the contexts within which one of these statuses becomes more salient than another for these individuals. Anticipated stigma was the primary barrier to disclosure of either status. The salience of anticipated stigma depended on the context within which disclosure may occur, including social interactions, employment, and engaging in HIV care. Communities with a high prevalence of HIV and incarceration and health care providers within those communities should be targeted for stigma reduction efforts. Practitioners should work to empower individuals living with HIV, especially in the face of multiple potential stigmas.

Questions to Consider:

1. How does this article relate to the information in Chapter 10 on multiple stigmatized identities?
2. How do you feel about the “Ban the Box” movement? Should employers have the right to know about an applicant’s prior criminal history early in the application process? Why or why not?
3. How did anticipated stigmatization alter the participants’ behavior and decision-making processes?

Article 2: Vandeusen, K. M., Ginebaugh, K. J., & Walcott, D. D. (2015). Campus suicide prevention: Knowledge, facts, and stigma in a college student sample. SAGE Open, 5(2). doi:10.1177/2158244015580851

Abstract: A public health approach to suicide prevention (SP) emphasizes using a comprehensive plan utilizing multiple strategies to address suicide in the community of interest. Universities using this approach are called to develop interventions to increase SP knowledge, reduce suicide risk factors, enhance protective factors, and examine their efforts scientifically to evaluate program effectiveness. The current study polled responding college students (N = 819) about their exposure to campus SP messaging materials, participation in SP activities, and whether they experienced having a person close to them attempt or die by suicide during the 3 years of a SP program funded by the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (2004). Students were also queried about their perceived level of SP knowledge, knowledge of suicide facts, and the stigma associated with receiving treatment for suicidal thoughts and behaviors using the Suicide Prevention Exposure, Awareness, and Knowledge Survey (SPEAKS). Simultaneous multiple regression analyses were used to examine relationships between study variables. Results indicated that exposure to SP messaging materials predicted a higher level of self-perceived knowledge and a lower level of perceived stigma. Participating in SP activities and having someone close to you attempt or die by suicide predicted both a higher level of perceived knowledge and actual knowledge of suicide facts. Self-identifying as male predicted a higher level of stigma. Implications for campus SP programming are discussed.

Questions to Consider:

1. In this study, 66% of the students believed that there is a social stigma for those that seek mental health services for suicidal thoughts and behavior. What attributes and stereotypes of those contemplating suicide seem to lead to this social stigma?
2. What activities led to a lowering in perceived social stigma for those who seek suicide intervention therapy in this study?
3. No correlation was found between knowing someone who had attempted or committed suicide and degree of perceived social stigma. Why do you think that no correlation was found between these two variables?

Article 1: Breuer, L., & Barker, C. (2015). Online support groups for depression: Benefits and barriers. SAGE Open, 5(2). doi:10.1177/2158244015574936

Abstract: This mixed-methods study aimed to explore the initial process of engagement with an online support group (OSG) for depression. Fifteen British National Health Service patients experiencing depression who had not previously used an OSG for depression were offered facilitated access to an existing peer-to-peer OSG for 10 weeks. Pre- and post-measures of depression, social support, and self-stigma were taken in addition to a weekly measure of OSG usage. A follow-up qualitative interview was conducted with a subsample of nine participants. Depression and self-stigma reduced over the 10-week period, but perceived social support did not change. There was no evidence of adverse outcomes. Perceived benefits of OSG participation included connection to others, normalization of depression, and stigma reduction. However, engagement with the OSG was generally low. Barriers included concerns over causing harm to others or being harmed oneself, feeling different from others in the group, and fears of being judged by others. OSGs may potentially reduce depressive symptoms and perceived self-stigma. However, considerable barriers may hinder people with depression from engaging with OSGs. Further work is needed to determine who will benefit most from participating in OSGs for depression and how best to facilitate engagement.

Questions to Consider:

1. The study found that while self-stigma decreased while participating in the OSG, overall engagement was low. Why would self-stigma decrease is participation in the online support group was low?
2. Referring to the participant interviews, what benefits did they experience by participating in the OSG? How does this relate to the material in Chapter 11?
3. What barriers were mentioned in the participant interviews? How can these barriers be overcome?

Article 2: Mccay, E., Frankford, R., Beanlands, H., Sidani, S., Gucciardi, E., Blidner, R., . . . Aiello, A. (2016). Evaluation of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to reduce psychological distress and to promote well-being: A pilot study in a primary health care setting. SAGE Open, 6(3). doi:10.1177/2158244016669547

Abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) group intervention to reduce psychological distress as well as to strengthen self-esteem, resilience, and general well-being for individuals living with a chronic illness and/or other health challenges. This pilot study employed a pre–posttest design to evaluate the outcome of the intervention for individuals receiving care in a Community and Family Medicine department and a Women’s Health Centre located in an urban downtown hospital. A total of 42 patients were enrolled in the study and 35 participants completed the intervention. Thirty-five of 42 enrolled participants completed the intervention. Twenty-eight participants completed the pretest and posttest assessments, which demonstrated statistically significant improvement on most outcome measures, including the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Rating Scale (CES-D), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), Affect Balance Scale (ABS), the Resilience Scale (RS), and the 5-Item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Large effect sizes were observed for the CES-D, the ABS, and the DASS Stress subscale. Observed improvements were sustained at 4 weeks post-treatment. Results are consistent with studies indicating that MBCT offers promise in alleviating psychological distress for those who are seeking care in primary health care settings. Continued focus on how to best implement MBCT in primary health care, particularly for those with comorbid physical and mental health conditions, supports the World Health Organization’s recommendation to integrate evidence-based mental health care within primary health care to promote equitable access to care for those most in need.

Questions to Consider:

1. This study contained participants that are clearly stigmatized (e.g., those with HIV/AIDS) and those that may not necessarily be considered stigmatized (e.g., those with arthritis). How does this limit the applicability of the results to those that are clearly part of a stigmatized group?
2. What benefits did those that participated in the MBCT experience? Were the benefits short-lived or lasting?
3. Chapter 11 discusses strategies for protecting psychological well-being. How can you relate the textbook readings to the information in this article?

Article 1: West, K., Holmes, E., & Hewstone, M. (2011). Enhancing imagined contact to reduce prejudice against people with schizophrenia. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 14(3), 407–428. doi:10.1177/1368430210387805

Abstract: Four studies investigated the effect of imagining intergroup contact on prejudice against people with schizophrenia. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that a neutral imagined contact task can have negative effects, compared to a control condition, even when paired with incidental positive information (Experiment 2). Experiments 3 and 4 demonstrated, however, that an integrated positive imagined contact scenario does result in less intergroup anxiety and more positive attitudes, even toward this challenging group. Analyses of participants’ descriptions of the imagined interactions in and across the first three studies confirm that positive and high-quality imagined contact is important for reducing prejudice but failing to ensure that imagined contact is positive may have deleterious consequences. We emphasize the importance of investigating the quality of the imagined contact experience and discuss the implications for using imagined contact as a prejudice-reducing intervention.

Questions to Consider:

1. Chapter 12 begins by discussing how contact with members of negatively stereotyped groups can reduce prejudice. How does this research article relate to our textbook readings?
2. As asked in the research article, how can imagined contact with an out-group have a negative effect on one’s stereotypes and prejudicial attitudes toward that group?
3. What moderates the effectiveness of imagined contact on reducing prejudice?

Article 2: Kaufmann, E., & Harris, G. (2015). “White Flight” or positive contact? Local diversity and attitudes to immigration in Britain. Comparative Political Studies, 48(12), 1563–1590. doi:10.1177/0010414015581684

Abstract: Does the local presence of immigrant groups increase White hostility to immigration? Most research finds that diverse neighborhoods reduce White opposition to minorities and immigration. However, most studies at higher geographies find the reverse effect. We confirm this pattern for England and Wales for 2009–2012. Yet, contextual studies are open to selection bias, which is where this article makes its main contribution. Is White tolerance in diverse neighborhoods the result of a positive effect of inter-ethnic contact, or does it arise from White flight, with anti-immigrant Whites exiting diverse areas but remaining within wider geographies as radicalized opponents of immigration? We provide the first attempt we are aware of to track the opinions of in- and out-migrants, as well as stayers, from local areas over an extended period. We use 20 years of large-scale geocoded British longitudinal data and find only limited evidence of selection effects associated with White flight.

Questions to Consider:

1. What is White flight and what cognitive processes that we have learned about in this class may explain it?
2. How has British opinion on immigration changed across time? How do educational level and party affiliation relate to these opinions?
3. What were the overall findings of this study? How can you relate at least three concepts/theories that we learned in this class to this study?