Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts

Monday, 22 June 2015

The Eikonophobiacs Are On the Move - Again



June 21, 2015

Permission-giving thoughts relating to child sexual exploitation material offending

“The children in the images were not harmed”: 

"Following on from the recent blog post detailing the development of the Children, Internet, and Sex Cognitions (CISC) scale, this post will further explore the findings from this research, focusing on the permission-giving thoughts endorsed by individuals with an offence related to child sexual exploitation material (CSEM).

The figure below provides examples of permission-giving thoughts endorsed by individuals with a child sex offence, as identified by Ward and Keenan (1999). A starting point in the research that colleagues and I carried out was to explore whether these thoughts can be applied to individuals with a CSEM related offence."

https://nextgenforensic.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/the-children-in-the-images-were-not-harmed-permission-giving-thoughts-relating-to-child-sexual-exploitation-material-offending

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Published 24 Dec 2010; DOI: 10.1348/135532506X114608; Volume 11 Issue 2 (September 2006), Pages 155-339

A Fundamental Attribution Error? Rethinking Cognitive Distortions

"The notion of ‘cognitive distortion’ has become enshrined in the offender treatment literature over the last 20 years, yet the concept still suffers from a lack of definitional clarity.

In particular, the umbrella term is often used to refer to offence‐supportive attitudes, cognitive processing during an offence sequence, as well as post‐hoc neutralisations or excuses for offending.

Of these very different processes, the last one might be the most popular and problematic.

Treatment programmes for offenders often aim to eliminate excuse‐making as a primary aim, and decision‐makers place great weight on the degree to which an offender “takes responsibility” for his or her offending.

Yet, the relationship between these after‐the‐fact explanations and future crime is not at all clear. Indeed, the designation of post hoc excuses as criminogenic may itself be an example of fallacious thinking. After all, outside of the criminal context, post hoc excuse‐making is widely viewed as normal, healthy, and socially rewarded behaviour.

We argue that the open exploration of contextual risk factors leading to offending can help in the identification of criminogenic factors as well as strengthen the therapeutic experience.

Rather than insist that offenders take “responsibility” for the past, we suggest that efforts should focus on helping them take responsibility for the future, shifting the therapeutic focus from post hoc excuses to offence‐supportive attitudes and underlying cognitive schemas that are empirically linked to re‐offending."

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:RPymCHeJR9oJ:citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download%3Fdoi%3D10.1.1.352.2987%26rep%3Drep1%26type%3Dpdf+&cd=23&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.352.2987&rep=rep1&type=pdf

http://psychsource.bps.org.uk/details/journalArticle/3355871/A-fundamental-attribution-error-Rethinking-cognitive-distortions.html

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1348/135532506X114608/abstract

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March 20, 2011, doi: 10.1177/0306624X11402945 Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol May 2012 vol. 56 no. 3 465-482

Making Sense, Making Good, or Making Meaning? Cognitive Distortions as Targets of Change in Offender Treatment

"Abstract

Most structured sex-offender programs are based on a cognitive-behavioural model of behaviour change.

Within this overarching theoretical paradigm, extensive use of cognitive distortions is seen as a central core symptom among sex offenders.

However, the literature on cognitive distortions lacks a clear and consistent definition of the term. 

It is unclear whether cognitive distortions are consciously employed excuses or unconscious processes serving to protect the offender from feelings of guilt or shame. 

In this article, the dominant cognitive-behavioural interpretation of cognitive distortions is contrasted with two alternative interpretations.

One is based on an attributional perspective and the notion of attributional biases. 

The other explanation is based on a narrative approach focusing on the action elements of cognitive distortions, that is, as something people do rather than something they have. 

Clinical implications of these alternative conceptualizations are discussed and illustrated throughout by a case example."

http://ijo.sagepub.com/content/56/3/465.abstract

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Received: 20 Aug 2012 Accepted: 28 Feb 2014 Published online: 07 Apr 2014

The Endorsement of Cognitive Distortions: Comparing Child Pornography Offenders and Contact Sex Offenders

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1068316X.2014.902454#.VYeIylJS-M8

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Sunday, 8 February 2015

Beginning To Understand



 So many questions ...

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Feb 8 2015

Understanding the cognitions of child sexual exploitation material offenders

Danielle Kettleborough

https://nextgenforensic.wordpress.com/2015/02/08/understanding-the-cognitions-of-child-sexual-exploitation-material-offenders/

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28 July 2014 

What Predicts Crossover From Viewing CSEM To Engagement In Sexual Contact

http://prezi.com/7rtuf7oduqjb/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

https://prezi.com/7rtuf7oduqjb/what-predicts-the-crossover-from-viewing-csem-child-pornog/#

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“Let’s Talk About Sex”: FCRG One-Day Conference 

"The FCRG are pleased to announce that, on Thursday 14th May, an exciting one-day conference will be taking place at the University of Lincoln, entitled “Let’s Talk About Sex in Sexual Offending Research and Practice”."

http://fcrg.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/2015/02/19/lets-talk-about-sex-fcrg-one-day-conference/
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Saturday, 15 November 2014

The Mad or Bad Debate Continues



Susan van Scoyoc

Susan van Scoyoc @SusanVanScoyoc https://twitter.com/susanvanscoyoc

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Published on Sep 25, 2014 

Susan van Scoyoc: Psychologists as expert witnesses: The mad or bad debate continues


"Susan van Scoyoc, an independent practitioner, speaking at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society in Birmingham, May 2014."

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSPR93gTeE8&index=2&list=UUV-oB7KcxvahA13d80xlhAA

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15/02/2013

Susan Van Scoyoc wins Society award

"The Professional Practice Board’s Practitioner of the Year Award 2012 has gone to Susan Van Scoyoc for her outstanding commitment to professional practice in court and family work, as a researcher, teacher and supervisor, and to the Society and profession as a whole.

A Chartered Psychologist of some 20 years’ standing, Susan Van Scoyoc is an HCPC-registered practitioner in both health psychology and counselling psychology. She manages a busy private practice providing psychological therapies, training and expert witness services for solicitors, local authorities, courts, tribunals and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Susan Van Scoyoc has particular interests in subjects related to physical health, women, human rights and family relationships. She registered with UK Expert Witness and has held many senior board and committee roles within the Society."

http://www.bps.org.uk/news/susan-van-scoyoc-wins-socieety-award

Thursday, 7 August 2014

The Dance of Ambiguity

Uploaded on Aug 5, 2014

Who's Lying, Who's Self-Justifying? Origins of the He Said/She Said Gap in Sexual Allegations


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SpVVsOUsLo&app=desktop

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"The Woody Allen sex scandal of 2013 triggered a national conversation on who to believe, with people lining up on each side as if they knew what really happened. Based on recent research on how people navigate the often tricky waters of sexual negotiation.

Dr. Carol Tavris shows that it is entirely possible in some sexual assault cases neither side is lying, but instead both sides feel justified in their positions. This talk was considered one of the best ever given at The Amazing Meeting."

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7/8/14

Carol Tavris on accusations vs. skepticism 

http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/carol-tavris-on-accusations-vs-skepticism

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The Amazing Meeting 2014

"This annual gathering of critical thinkers is an unparalleled opportunity to make like-minded friends, enjoy some of the brightest minds on issues important to skeptics, and leave with tools for spreading a helpful and educational message to those who might be hurt by charlatans and unfounded belief."

http://www.amazingmeeting.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amaz!ng_Meeting

Monday, 7 July 2014

Thank you Andrew Gilligan And The Telegraph - Paedophilia Is Not 'Normal' (As Though That Matters), But, Being A Minor-Attracted Person, Certainly Is


 It's Official !!! - It's A Great Time, To Be A 'Paedophile' - thanks, chubby chops :)

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The links ...

There Are, At The Very Least, 372 Million People, Sexually-Attracted To 'Kids', In The World - Are You One Of 'Them'? 

http://therealosc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/atsa-conference-chicago-il-nov-3-2013.html

Why 'Making' (Downloading - POCA 1978)/'Possessing' (CJA 1988) Indecent Images of Children Is Not A Sexual Offence And Never Can Be (Well, Not In A Rational World)

http://therealosc.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/why-making-downloading-poca.html

... and, remember, not to be disablist ...

Hate For All, Or Hate For None

http://therealosc.blogspot.de/2014/05/hate-for-all-or-hate-for-none.html

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9:10PM BST 05 Jul 2014

'Paedophilia [sic] is natural and normal for males'

"How some university academics make the case for paedophiles at summer conferences

After the report into Jimmy Savile and the conviction of Rolf Harris, Britain has gone into a convulsion of anxiety about child abuse in the Eighties."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/10948796/Paedophilia-is-natural-and-normal-for-males.html

January 27, 2016 

University Academics Say Pedophilia Is ‘Natural, And Normal For Males To Be AROUSED By Children’ 

"An academic conference held at the University of Cambridge said that pedophilia interest is “natural and normal for males”, and that “at least a sizable minority of normal males would like to have sex with children, and normal males are aroused by children.” "

http://truthuncensored.net/university-academics-say-pedophilia-is-natural-for-males-aroused-by-children

Last updated: January 3rd, 2013

Paedophiles are 'ordinary members of society' who need moral support

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100196502/guardian-paedophiles-are-ordinary-members-of-society-who-need-moral-support

Perspectives on Paedophilia - Dr Brian Taylor

http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Perspectives_on_paedophilia.html?id=bGASAQAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search?index=books&linkCode=qs&keywords=9780713437188

Paedophilia - The Radical Case - Tom O'Carroll

https://www.ipce.info/host/radicase

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Andrew Gilligan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Gilligan

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/author/andrewgilligan

http://journalisted.com/andrew-gilligan?allarticles=yes

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The Challenge For Andrew and Dr Powell

Here is the challenge, Dr Graham Powell (even though, you did turn to The Dark Side, which actually explains your back-peddling).

Provide us with a reading list etc, which you believe, changes anything, from what you had available in 1981 (please provide those sources, as well).

Prove to us, via these papers etc, that Child Sexual Activity (CSAc), is the causal antecedent of serious harm/trauma, in other than a tiny number of people (even in those).

In fact, we will settle for non-serious harm/trauma figures and evidence, at this stage.
 
We await anything, that you would like to provide, to substantiate your claims.

The OSC 

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Monday 7 January 2013

How can we prevent child abuse if we don't understand paedophilia?

"If we want to keep children safe from sexual harm, then surely knowing what we’re dealing with would be a good first step."

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/how-can-we-prevent-child-abuse-if-we-dont-understand-paedophilia-8438660.html

7 July 2014

Our need for paedos: why society obsesses over child abuse

"After Rolf, the Westminster ‘child sex ring’: why the paedo-scare won’t die.".

http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/our-need-for-paedos-why-society-obsesses-over-child-abuse/15335#.U7qS4kCa_sR

Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Why We Do, What We Do




The Royal Society's motto 'Nullius in verba' roughly translates
as 'take nobody's word for it'.

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In the UK (and Elsewhere), in These Days, We Live in Dark Times, Getting Darker ...

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"Enlightenment philosophy tends to stand in tension with established religion [i.e. social control - Law], insofar as the release from self-incurred immaturity in this age, daring to think for oneself, awakening one's intellectual powers, generally requires opposing the role of established religion [i.e. social control - Law] in directing thought and action. The faith of the Enlightenment – if one may call it that – is that the process of enlightenment, of becoming progressively self-directed in thought and action through the awakening of one's intellectual powers, leads ultimately to a better, more fulfilled human existence."

Immanuel Kant

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The Origins of the Royal Society  

https://royalsociety.org/about-us/history

The Royal Society of London

http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/exploration_and_endeavour/take_no_ones_word_for_it

Enlightenment 

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/enlightenment

Age of Enlightenment 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment

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Monday 2 February 2015 

Free speech? Not at four in five UK universities 

"The concept of a new 'endarkenment' is starting to become scarily accurate."

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/feb/02/free-speech-universities-spiked-ban-sombreros

2 February 2015

Exposed: the staggering scale of censorship on campus 

"The first UK-wide analysis of illiberalism in our universities."

http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/exposed-the-staggering-scale-of-censorship-on-campus/16658#.VM-X3yxJ0dV

February 8, 2015 11:02 pm

British MPs Recommend Prevention Orders Used for Sex Offenders to Tackle Antisemitism on Social Media [false-flag]

"The orders could also prevent them from hiding behind fake identities online."

http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/02/08/british-mps-recommend-prevention-orders-used-for-sex-offenders-to-tackle-antisemitism-on-social-media/

9th February 2015 

MPs call for 'internet Asbos' for abusive social media users 

"Archbishop of Canterbury backs calls for 'internet Asbos'."

http://www.itv.com/news/story/2015-02-09/mps-call-for-internet-asbos-for-abusive-social-media-users/

Sunday 1 March 2015 13.07 GMT

Government row over ban on extremist speakers on university campuses

"The dispute centres on the content of an advisory note to be sent as part of a new statutory requirement on universities to draw up strategies to combat radicalisation on campus. The broad issue has been a running sore for years, with some accusing vice chancellors of being too liberal. "

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/01/government-row-over-limiting-free-speech-on-university-campuses

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September 12, 2016

Academic Freedom Dying Because Profs Too Scared to Use It: Report

"Academic freedom in the UK will wither and die thanks to a generation of lecturers too scared to challenge the status quo, a major new book claims today.

Universities are trapped “worshipping at the altar of progressive [sic] opinion”, and individual scholars self-censor to avoid the wrath of their peers, according to the publication by Civitas, an independent think tank."

http://heatst.com/world/academic-freedom-dying-because-profs-too-scared-to-use-it-report/?mod=sm_tw_post

http://www.civitas.org.uk/reports_articles/on-academic-and-other-freedoms

Friday, 28 February 2014

Mentally Unfit To Be Tried In Criminal Court

28 February 2014 Last updated at 02:59

Broadmoor Hospital: Inside a Victorian 'lunatic asylum'

"It is 150 years since Broadmoor Hospital opened its doors to patients of both sexes who were deemed mentally unfit to be tried in criminal courts. Now a new hospital is being built next door, with plans to redevelop some of the original Victorian buildings.

Take a look back at what life in the Berkshire hospital used to be like - and see what the future holds - with archivist Mark Stevens the author of Broadmoor Revealed, and Broadmoor's clinical director Dr Kevin Murray."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26335033

Sunday, 22 December 2013

Of Course It Is James, It Is Just A Matter Of Socio-Political Timing, Like Being Gay, Right?

Sun Dec 22 2013

Is pedophilia a sexual orientation?

"Dr. James Cantor of CAMH has shown pedophilia is like a sexual orientation — a deep attraction that cannot change. Now, pedophiles who have never molested children are seeking social acceptance.

Dr. James Cantor of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has spent the last decade on research suggesting that pedophilia is a deep-rooted, unchangeable predisposition."

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2013/12/22/is_pedophilia_a_sexual_orientation.html

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Posted by James Cantor on 2013-December-22 15:14:22, Sunday

"For those interested."

http://www.boychat.org/messages/1372690.htm *****
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December 27, 2013

Pedophilia: Doctor Claims It’s A Sexual Orientation

http://www.westernjournalism.com/doctor-proclaims-pedophilia-sexual-orientation

Tuesday, 8 October 2013

Moral Meat

October 7, 2013

Brain Region Tied to Compliance with Social Norms

"“We found that the brain mechanism responsible for compliance with social norms is separate from the processes that represent one’s knowledge and beliefs about the social norm,” said Ernst Fehr, Ph.D.

“This could have important implications for the legal system as the ability to distinguish between right and wrong may not be sufficient for the ability to comply with social norms.”

Said Ruff, “Our findings show that a socially and evolutionarily important aspect of human behavior depends on a specific neural mechanism that can be both up- and down-regulated with brain stimulation.”"

http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/10/07/brain-region-tied-to-compliance-with-social-norms/60440.html

Tuesday, 24 September 2013

Underlying Neurodevelopmental Basis To Account For The Lack Of Sexual Attraction Characteristic Of Asexuality

Arch Sex Behav. 2013 Sep 18. [Epub ahead of print]

Biological Markers of Asexuality: Handedness, Birth Order, and Finger Length Ratios in Self-identified Asexual Men and Women.

"Human asexuality is defined as a lack of sexual attraction to anyone or anything and it has been suggested that it may be best conceptualized as a sexual orientation."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24045903

How Implanted Memories Can Have Real-Life Repercussions

Filmed Jun 2013 • Posted Sep 2013

Elizabeth Loftus: The fiction of memory


"Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus studies memories. More precisely, she studies false memories, when people either remember things that didn't happen or remember them differently from the way they really were. It's more common than you might think, and Loftus shares some startling stories and statistics, and raises some important ethical questions we should all remember to consider.

Memory-manipulation expert Elizabeth Loftus explains how our memories might not be what they seem -- and how implanted memories can have real-life repercussions."

http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_loftus_the_fiction_of_memory.html

Speakers Elizabeth Loftus: False memories scholar

http://www.ted.com/speakers/elizabeth_loftus.html
 
The Myth of Repressed Memory: False Memories and Allegations of Sexual Abuse

http://www.amazon.com/Myth-Repressed-Memory-Memories-Allegations/dp/0312141238/ref=la_B000APKT0Q_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358653207&sr=1-2

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September 23, 2013 at 3:00 pm EDT

Elizabeth Loftus on embedding false memories in U.S. soldiers

“We can’t reliably distinguish true memories from false memories,” declares psychologist Elizabeth Loftus in today’s talk. She’s spent the past forty years studying the memory, and has reached some mind-blowing conclusions about what we know, and what we think we know. Here, she shares more detail about her work, and suggests further reading for anyone interested in finding out more about the topic.

http://blog.ted.com/2013/09/23/elizabeth-loftus-on-embedding-false-memories-in-u-s-soldiers/

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1996

Memory, Abuse, and Science: Questioning Claims about the False Memory Syndrome Epidemic

"NOTE: This article is the award address for the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Contributions to Public Service. It was published in American Psychologist, vol. 51, no. 9, pages 957-974.

ABSTRACT: Careful assessment of purported scientific discoveries and the resulting interpretations is a responsibility of every scientist. The area of memory, particularly memory for abuse, has recently seen new, highly publicized claims. These include the proposal of a new diagnostic category, the false memory syndrome; claims about the ease with which extensive autobiographical memories can be implanted; and estimates of the extent therapists use risky practices likely to cause false memory syndrome. This article suggests questions to evaluate these claims and the methods used to promote them. Implications for clinical standards and malpractice are discussed."

http://www.kspope.com/memory/memory.php

Sunday, 22 September 2013

So, What You Are Telling Us, Is That Porn Helps Us Feel Good - Whodathunkit?

PUBLISHED: 09:09, 22 September 2013 | UPDATED: 15:20, 22 September 2013

Compulsive pornography users shows the same brain activity as alcoholics and drug addicts

"'Addiction' part of brain flashes when 'porn addicts' viewed x-rated material.

The results are expected to open up debate on porn as an addiction [why?]

"Regular porn users show the same kind of brain activity as drug addicts and alcoholics, scientists have claimed.

In a new study, scans have revealed how the part of the brain which is stimulated when drug users and heavy drinkers indulge in their addiction is also activated when those hooked on porn watch x-rated images and videos.

In an alarming set of results [why?], this effect was not present in those who don't use porn regularly. [no shit]

Addict: The Cambridge University study has revealed worrying [why?] similarities in the brain activity of porn addicts and those hooked on alcohol and drugs.

The research, carried out by Cambridge University used MRI scans to study the brains of 19 participants who came forward for the experiment, admitting that they had a problem [not enough porn?] with their porn habit.

Speaking in the Sunday Times, Dr Valerie Voon, the principal researcher in the study and a neuropsychiatrist at Cambridge, said: 'We found greater activity in an area of the brain called the ventral striatum, which is a reward centre, involved in processing reward, motivation and pleasure.'" [science is wonderful]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2428861/Compulsive-pornography-users-shows-brain-activity-alcoholics-drug-addicts.html

Pornography addiction leads to same brain activity as alcoholism or drug abuse, study shows

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/pornography-addiction-leads-to-same-brain-activity-as-alcoholism-or-drug-abuse-study-shows-8832708.html

Brain scans of porn addicts: what's wrong with this picture?

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/26/brain-scans-porn-addicts-sexual-tastes?CMP=twt_gu 

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Dr Valerie Voon

http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/directory/profile.php?vv247

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Published on July 25, 2013

Your Brain on Porn - It's NOT Addictive

"What neurological research ACTUALLY shows about the people who use porn."

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/women-who-stray/201307/your-brain-porn-its-not-addictive

Monday, 16 September 2013

To Build A Courageous Character

Posted: 09/15/2013 8:19 am EDT

The Science Of Conquering Your Fears -- And Living A More Courageous Life

"Aristotle believed courage to be the most important quality in a man. “Courage is the first of human virtues because it makes all others possible," he wrote. Today, it's one of the more neglected areas of positive psychology, but recent research has begun to move toward an understanding of what courage is and how we might be able to cultivate the ability to face our fear and make decisions with greater fortitude.

Neuroscientists recently determined just how courage works in the brain, finding that a region called the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) is the driving force behind courageous acts -- a conclusion which could one day prove useful in treating anxiety disorders.

So how can we train our minds to act more courageously in everyday life? Other recent research on courage, which has shown that's it's not just about facing fear, but also about coping with risk and uncertainty (as Ernest Hemingway put it, courage is "grace under pressure.") And, it seems, we can make ourselves more courageous with practice and effort."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/15/conquering-fear_n_3909020.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

Wednesday, 14 August 2013

So, Are The Alleged Symptoms Due To The Sexual 'Abuse' Or An Inherent 'Brain Dysfunction'? - Chicken Or Egg?

Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume 22, Issue 6, 2013

The Cognitive Impact of Sexual Abuse and PTSD in Children: A Neuropsychological Study

"Received: 4 Dec 2011
Accepted: 12 Apr 2012
Published online: 07 Aug 2013

Sexual abuse [sic] is known to have an impact on both child and adult mental health [no, there appears to be some correlation, in a small minority of people], but the neuropsychological basis of this effect is still largely unknown.

This study compared neuropsychological test results from a group of 76 children, 13 of them sexual abuse [sic] victims with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, 26 victims of sexual abuse [sic] who showed no symptoms post-traumatic stress disorder, and 37 controls.

The groups were matched by age, sex, socioeconomic status, and educational level. Child sexual abuse [sic] was associated with reduced ability to inhibit automatic responses measured by the Stroop test regardless of post-traumatic stress disorder status.

These findings indicate possible attentional inhibition difficulties in child victims of sexual abuse [sic], which may help explain psychopathology associated with the experience."

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10538712.2013.811141#.UguhT6zQ41I

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23924174

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Amygdala Inhibition Deficit

Amygdala hijack

Amygdala

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The alternative view ...  

Can Abuse in Childhood Make You Crazy [sic]?

http://www.behaviorismandmentalhealth.com/2013/06/04/can-abuse-in-childhood-make-you-crazy/

Trauma, Dissociation, Attachment & Neuroscience: A new paradigm for understanding severe mental distress

Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy (Vol 12, No 3, September 2012)

http://www.behaviorismandmentalhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Trauma-Dissociation-Attachment-and-Neuroscience-Dillo-Johnstone-Longden.pdf

Friday, 12 July 2013

SARNwich Anyone?

July 2013

The non-sense of prison psychology

"Anthony Boden uncovers the inconsistencies of a ‘pseudoscience’

I am a post-tariff IPP. Along with many others in the same position to say that I am frustrated by this sentence would be a gross understatement. My biggest complaint is the government-prescribed, psychological abuse delivered in the form of Offending Behaviour Programmes. There is no scientific basis behind OBPs, which are nothing more than psychological experiments. This country condemned the Nazi’s for conducting psychological experiments on prisoners during World War II, and yet we allow this travesty to continue upon our own shores and in our own prisons. Every intelligent being should ask themselves how this inexcusable position has arisen and what can be done to resolve the issue. I have already formulated my own theories, which I will explain with the help of some of the greatest minds in history.

It was Marie Curie who said, ‘Nothing in life is to be feared, only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so that you may fear less ...’"

http://www.insidetime.org/articleview.asp?a=1515&c=the_nonsense_of_prison_psychology

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4/7/2013

"As a forensic (though not prison) psychologist, I have a great deal of sympathy with Anthony's frustrations. However, quoting Feynman is a bit risky, partly because he wasn't a psychologist, and partly because his views must be somewhat out of date as he is somewhat dead (25 years ago this year). Also, he is somewhat wrong - for example, in stating that psychological experiments don't get repeated. Anyway, none of this actually bears on the scientific status (or otherwise) of present day UK risk assessment.

There has actually been some respectable scientific investigation of risk assessment techniques. For example, a couple of studies have recently investigated the SARN, and demonstrated that the allegedly "dynamic" factors assessed do not have any predictive power over and above that of the static factors of the Risk Matrix 2000. In other words, if someone is assessed using the SARN, this cannot tell us anything at all about his risk before "treatment", his risk after "treatment", or any improvement during it. Therefore, assessments of alleged "unmet treatment needs" which depend upon the SARN are scientifically invalid. I have seen such an assessment successfully challenged in a parole hearing (the man was released) and am astonished that no one has apparently challenged it in the High Court. This is even more astonishing, because studies have been available for as long as 15 years showing that certain "risk factors" routinely assessed in sex offenders are in fact not risk factors at all. A 2005 study concluded: “Many of the variables commonly addressed in sex offender treatment programs (e.g., psychological distress, denial of sex crime, victim empathy, stated motivation for treatment) had little or no relationship with sexual or violent recidivism.” Yet people carry on as if nothing had happened.

Another practice which has been scientifically investigated, and shown to be invalid, is the practice of "adjusting" static risk assessments in the light of clinical information. For example, saying something like "the Risk Matrix 2000 says this man is low risk, but in the light of XYZ I would estimate his risk as medium". A number of studies have shown that altering a static risk assessment in this way reduces its accuracy. Always. This is mathematically inevitable, because clinical estimation of risk has been scientifically demonstrated to be very poor, and mixing a poor predictor with a better one reduces the overall accuracy to the level of the poor one. Static risk predictors are not fantastic, but they are about 65 to 70% accurate, which may sound impressive until you realise that you can get 50% accuracy by tossing a coin. Still, they do better than chance.

What worries me is that those doing the risk assessment seem very often not to be aware of how limited it is. They should be."

http://www.insidetime.org/articleview.asp?a=1515&c=the_nonsense_of_prison_psychology

SARN and SOTP useless: Official

https://sites.google.com/site/forpsychadvice/home/anns/sarnandsotpuselessofficial

Tuesday, 2 July 2013

Alrighty Then, Now To Get It Applied To Every Complainant, In Court - If it Is So Reliable And Useful, And All

Monday 1 July 2013 19.05 BST

Lie detector [sic] tests set to be introduced to monitor sex offenders

"Politicians expected to approve law allowing compulsory polygraph tests of sex offenders released into community [well, of course they are].

MPs are expected to clear the way for the introduction of compulsory lie detector tests to monitor convicted sex offenders across England and Wales from next January.

The national rollout of US-style mandatory polygraph tests for serious sex offenders who have been released into the community after serving their prison sentence follows a successful pilot scheme. The trial was carried out from 2009-11 in two Midlands probation areas and found that offenders taking such tests were twice as likely to tell probation staff they had contacted a victim, entered an exclusion zone or otherwise breached terms of their release licence.

Continuing concerns about the reliability of the tests and misinterpretation of the results mean they still cannot be used in any court in England and Wales.

But it is expected that the compulsory polygraph tests will be used to monitor the behaviour of 750 of the most serious sex offenders, all of whom have been released into the community after serving a sentence of at least 12 months in jail ..."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jul/01/lie-detector-tests-sex-offenders

Sex Offenders To Face Lie Detector Tests

http://news.sky.com/story/1110557/sex-offenders-to-face-lie-detector-tests

*****

"The whole process smacks of 20th century witchcraft."

U.S. Senator Sam Ervin (1896-1985)

https://antipolygraph.org

*****

09.07.2013

Polygraph Screening for Sex Offenders: Bad Science, Even Worse Policy

"Of the many variations on Martin Niemoller’s famous ‘First they came for…’ speech I’ve seen kicking around the Internet none, so far as I can recall, has ever started with the line ‘First they came for the sex offenders ...”

http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2013/07/09/polygraph-screening-for-sex-offenders-bad-science-even-worse-policy/

*****

Seeing threats, feds target instructors of polygraph-beating methods

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/08/16/199590/seeing-threats-feds-target-instructors.html#.Ug-353-RA1K

'Beat the lie detectors' trainer sentenced to 8 months in jail

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/09/09/polygraph_countermeasures_man_jailed

Eight months in prison for man who taught sex offenders, aspiring agents to trick lie detectors

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/eight-months-in-prison-for-man-who-taught-sex-offenders-aspiring-agents-to-trick-lie-detectors/2013/09/06/6da0afa8-16f3-11e3-a2ec-b47e45e6f8ef_story.html

*****

Published: 31 July 2012 

Sense About Lie Detectors

"Lie detectors have been around for nearly 100 years. Despite debates over their accuracy and the ethics and legality of their use, the public and professionals remain intrigued by them.

Lie detectors mainly consist of polygraphs, voice analysis or brain imaging. These technologies are different but three points are relevant to all:

>They are not accurate.
>They do not measure lies but rather something that could be a proxy for lies.
>They all rely on the deterrent effect (that is, fear of being caught lying)."

http://www.senseaboutscience.org/data/files/resources/101/SA-lie-detectors-2012.pdf

http://www.senseaboutscience.org/resources.php/101/sense-about-lie-detectors

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

When A Few Anecdotes Sell More BS

24 Jun 2013 12:27

Inside the mind of a murderer: Forensic psychology expert reveals key tools to solving crime

"DR Kathy Charles explains how analysing what's going on in suspect's head gives psychologists vital clues in the approach to securing a conviction.

Dr Kathy Charles has studied hundreds of brutal cases

UNDERSTANDING what makes a person commit murder or a sex crime is never an easy task but forensic psychologist Dr Kathy Charles knows exactly how their minds work [hahahahaha].

She has worked alongside police to profile criminals and dedicates her time to helping young offenders understand the reasoning behind their actions.

Now Dr Charles, 34, from ­Edinburgh, is passing on her expert knowledge to Scotland’s next generation of forensic psychologists. She is set to host a series of fascinating lectures detailing her experiences on a number of cases.

She said: “I’ve always wanted to know why some people commit crimes and others don’t.

“It’s important to know how the mind works, especially if the focus of a police investigation is a serial killer, rapist or stalker.

“I worked on profiling Ipswich prostitute murderer Steve Wright and have profiled rapists and stalkers, too.

“Committing the offence is one thing but understanding why is completely different.

“That’s where logic [hahahahahahaha] comes in and I often say it’s like piecing a jigsaw together.

“In some cases there is no obvious suspect and that’s where profiling becomes useful.

“By looking at the type of crime, the way it happened and the timeline, you can profile the type of person likely [figures?] to be responsible.

“In many cases [and there lies the proof of your errors - mere chance], when the suspect is caught the profile is almost spot-on.”"

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/inside-mind-murderer-forensic-psychology-1987828

*****

Dr Kathy Charles

http://www.napier.ac.uk/fhlss/slsss/staff/pages/kathy_charles.aspx

http://napier.academia.edu/KathyCharles

http://www.beltanenetwork.org/discover-beltane/fellowship-programme/beltane-fellows/dr-kathy-charles/

Facebook stress linked to number of ‘friends’

http://www.napier.ac.uk/media/Pages/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsID=187

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-12479660

Sunday, 29 July 2012

Where Politics Trumps Scientific Truth

The APA's and the Pedophilia Controversy

"Psychiatric Association Reverses Pedophile Diagnostic Change, Returns to Original Criteria

"APA said that no matter what the research showed either way about the psychological effects of pedophile relationships--pedophilia remained, in its opinion, "morally" wrong.

Moral Philosophy and the Pedophilia Problem

Morally wrong? This was an odd statement indeed from a scientific organization. What, then, was the APA's moral position on, say...adultery or abortion? What about sexually open relationships? Would APA have an official position on polygamy? The very fact that APA admitted to holding a moral viewpoint on a psychological issue ought to have opened up a broad new challenge to psychology's authority and its moral presumptions as our culture's new secular priesthood.

Indeed, the time would was then ripe for moral philosophers to issue a fruitful challenge to the entire concept of psychological health--its inherent limitations, its value-laden nature, and its utter meaningless without dependence on an underlying social-moral philosophy.

The Psychological Association must have been aware of the implications of its statement about the immorality of pedophilia, because the March 2002 issue of the American Psychologist carried an official article stating that what the association had learned from the Rind fiasco was--among other lessons--that 1) APA must build bridges to conservative groups, and 2) in the future, psychology must be prepared to defend its validity as a science."

http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles/NicolosiPedophilia.php
http://narth.com/docs/pedcrisis.html

The Pedophilia Debate Continues -- And DSM Is Changed Again

http://www.narth.com/docs/debatecontinues.html