The Impact of Alcohol on Ostracism

Alcohol is consumed in a variety of social contexts and is generally thought to enhance social functioning (Fairbairn & Sayette, 2014). Yet relatively little research has evaluated how alcohol consumption influences unpleasant social interactions. Social exclusion, or ostracism, is an aversive experience that can prompt emotional and interpersonal turmoil across situations (Williams, 2001). Alcohol may influence both prevalence of and reactions to ostracism. Evaluation of how this negative experience relates to drinking is necessary to further understand social drinking experiences and in particular the role of alcohol when coping with ostracism. Many laboratory studies of alcohol in social contexts have relied on confederates to create social drinking environments. Research on ostracism has also relied on experimentally manipulating interactions using confederates, in order to induce experiences of exclusion. Although such paradigms provide ideal conditions for testing causal relationships, use of tightly scripted interactions creates atypical social experiences that preclude investigation of the prevalence of naturally arising moments of ostracism or the reciprocal interpersonal influence found in unscripted interactions. The present study employed a novel, unscripted methodology that assessed naturally occurring ostracism during a social drinking interaction. The current research had three primary aims: Aim 1: To examine the effect of alcohol on the prevalence of ostracism during face-to-face social interactions. Aim 2: To examine the effect of alcohol on individuals’ behavioral mimicry of interaction partners while being ostracized. Aim 3: To examine the effect of alcohol on frequency of sipping while being ostracized

A Dynamic Analysis of the Effects of Alcohol on Perceptions of Physical Attractiveness

Background and Significance. Perception of physical attractiveness (PPA) is a fundamental aspect of human relationships and a promising factor to study to understand both alcohol’s rewarding and harmful effects. Yet PPA is rarely studied in relation to alcohol, and when it is tested, approaches are often sub-optimal. The present study applied psychological theories and methods not previously used in alcohol research to test a variety of questions central to understanding alcohol’s effects on PPA. Methods. Dyads of platonic same-gender friends (n = 36) attended two lab sessions, wherein their drink conditions (alcohol vs. no-alcohol control) were randomized by dyad and counter-balanced across sessions. After consuming a portion of their beverages together, subjects completed a PPA task using a Likert scale. Results. While alcohol enhanced positive ( = 0.26, p < .001) and decreased negative ( = -0.10, p < .001) mood, there was no effect of perceiver ( = -0.04, p = .69) or target ( = 0.03, p = .78) drink condition on PPA. There were significant interaction effects between orientation-match (whether targets were of the gender to which the perceiver was sexually oriented) and both perceiver- ( = 0.07, p < .001) and target-drink condition ( = 0.05, p < .001), respectively, on PPA. There were not moderating effects of stimulus format (i.e., smiling vs. neutral expression faces, dynamic vs. static images) or sexual-desire alcohol expectancies on the alcohol-PPA relation. Conclusion. This study sought to examine the impact of alcohol on PPA and identify factors that might moderate this potential effect. Methodological constraints may have hampered observation of anticipated effects. Future research incorporating more naturalistic methods including studies that enable participants and targets to interact may clarify the role of PPA in alcohol’s hazardous and socially rewarding effects

Kratom availability in California vape shops

Kratom products are derived from trees native to Southeast Asia and have dose-dependent stimulant and opioid-like effects. Despite being on the Drug Enforcement Administration "Drugs and Chemicals of Concern List," kratom is legal for sale in most US states. However, there are scarce data on its availability. The goal of this study was to examine kratom availability in vape shops across the state of California and assess shop compliance with a local kratom sales ban (enacted in 2016) in San Diego City. As part of a larger study about retail tobacco marketing near colleges, availability of kratom was assessed in summer 2019 in a random sample of 614 vape shops that was stratified to compare stores near (≤ 3 miles) and distant (&gt;3 miles) from colleges. Logistic regression examined kratom availability as a function of store type (stores that sold vape products only vs. stores selling other tobacco), nearness to college, and tract-level demographics. Kratom was available in 62.4% of observed stores and more often in vape-and-smoke (81.1%) than vape-only shops (11.5%, AOR&nbsp;=&nbsp;40.4, 95% CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;23.3-74.1). Kratom availability did not differ by nearness to colleges. In San Diego City, 46.2% of observed stores (95% CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;28.8-64.5) sold kratom products. Findings indicate that kratom was available in the majority of vape shops and most commonly in vape-and-smoke shops. Widespread availability in tobacco specialty shops suggests the need for research on dual use with tobacco, kratom advertising and cross-product promotion, and the potential of state and local tobacco retail licensing to prohibit sales

Psychology's Contributions to Anti-Blackness in the United States Within Psychological Research, Criminal Justice, and Mental Health.

The mass incarceration of Black people in the United States is gaining attention as a public-health crisis with extreme mental-health implications. Although it is well documented that historical efforts to oppress and control Black people in the United States helped shape definitions of mental illness and crime, many psychologists are unaware of the ways the field has contributed to the conception and perpetuation of anti-Blackness and, consequently, the mass incarceration of Black people. In this article, we draw from existing theory and empirical evidence to demonstrate historical and contemporary examples of psychology's oppression of Black people through research and clinical practices and consider how this history directly contradicts the American Psychological Association's ethics code. First, we outline how anti-Blackness informed the history of psychological diagnoses and research. Next, we discuss how contemporary systems of forensic practice and police involvement in mental-health-crisis response maintain historical harm. Specific recommendations highlight strategies for interrupting the criminalization of Blackness and offer example steps psychologists can take to redefine psychology's relationship with justice. We conclude by calling on psychologists to recognize their unique power and responsibility to interrupt the criminalization and pathologizing of Blackness as researchers and mental-health providers

Kratom availability in California vape shops

Kratom products are derived from trees native to Southeast Asia and have dose-dependent stimulant and opioid-like effects. Despite being on the Drug Enforcement Administration “Drugs and Chemicals of Concern List,” kratom is legal for sale in most US states. However, there are scarce data on its availability. The goal of this study was to examine kratom availability in vape shops across the state of California and assess shop compliance with a local kratom sales ban (enacted in 2016) in San Diego City. As part of a larger study about retail tobacco marketing near colleges, availability of kratom was assessed in summer 2019 in a random sample of 614 vape shops that was stratified to compare stores near (≤ 3 miles) and distant (>3 miles) from colleges. Logistic regression examined kratom availability as a function of store type (stores that sold vape products only vs. stores selling other tobacco), nearness to college, and tract-level demographics. Kratom was available in 62.4% of observed stores and more often in vape-and-smoke (81.1%) than vape-only shops (11.5%, AOR = 40.4, 95% CI = 23.3–74.1). Kratom availability did not differ by nearness to colleges. In San Diego City, 46.2% of observed stores (95% CI = 28.8–64.5) sold kratom products. Findings indicate that kratom was available in the majority of vape shops and most commonly in vape-and-smoke shops. Widespread availability in tobacco specialty shops suggests the need for research on dual use with tobacco, kratom advertising and cross-product promotion, and the potential of state and local tobacco retail licensing to prohibit sales

Combating the Conspiracy of Silence: Clinician Recommendations for Talking About Racism-Related Events With Youth of Color

Graphic videos of race-based violence, including police brutality toward Black people and anti-Asian hate crimes, have exploded over the past year. While documentation of these horrific acts has brought visibility to the pervasiveness of racial discrimination, it has also resulted in youth of color being exposed to racial stressors more than ever before across numerous social media and news platforms.1-3 Beyond the significant race-related stress already experienced by youth in school contexts,4 this increased exposure to racism via media is concerning, as both direct and vicarious exposure to racial discrimination can compromise psychological well-being of youth and cause trauma-like symptoms, such as intrusive thoughts, vigilance, and depression.3,5