Context Of New Theory Research Articles

Does Major Depression Differentially Affect Daily Affect in Adults From Six Middle-Income Countries: China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russian Federation, and South Africa?

Much of the research on how depression affects daily emotional functioning comes from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) countries. In the current study, we investigated daily positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) and PA and NA variability in a cross-cultural sample of adults with a depression diagnosis ( N = 2,487) and without a depression diagnosis ( N = 31,764) from six middle-income non-WEIRD countries: China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russian Federation, and South Africa. Across countries, adults with depression relative to adults without depression reported higher average NA and NA variability and lower average PA but higher PA variability. Findings varied between countries. Observations are discussed within the context of new theories and evidence. Implications for current knowledge and for future efforts to grow cross-cultural and non-WEIRD affective science are discussed.

How Incest Offenders Overcome Internal Inhibitions Through the Use of Cognitions and Cognitive Distortions

This study explored the victimization process of incestuous child sexual abuse, focusing specifically on the cognitions incest offenders use to overcome their initial inhibitions against offending and to maintain their offending behavior once begun. The research design was a qualitative, grounded theory approach, involving a series of three intensive, in-person interviews with eight Caucasian, male incest offenders currently in treatment for a sexual offense. All the offenders abused a biological, step-, or adoptive daughter. The cognitions identified are grouped into four separate categories: (1) cognitions related to sociocultural factors; (2) cognitions used to overcome the fear of disclosure; (3) cognitions used to diminish responsibility; and (4) cognitions related to permission seeking. Findings are discussed within the context of new theory on the role of cognitions in sexual offending.