THE IRAN NUCLEAR NEGOTIATIONS: ONE YEAR ON

This article, written by the former British Ambassador to Iran, starts with an overview from an insider's perspective of the 15 years of diplomacy leading up to the July 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding Iran's Nuclear capabilities. It discusses the merits of the plan and its prospects for the future. It examines the development of international economic engagement, and in particular argues that the western powers need to do far more to deliver an economic quid pro quo for Iran's nuclear concessions: if the situation is not appreciably better soon, it will be impossible for the US and its partners to argue credibly that they are not in breach of the JCPOA. The article concludes with a discussion of Iran's economic and political prospects in the light of the nuclear deal.     

Parental role in teenage driving

Students in 75 high schools in seven states participated in a questionnaire survey. The results showed that high school students want to become licensed as soon as possible and that parents are important in teaching them to drive. Once licensed, the majority of students have their own cars, though they do not typically pay the majority of the costs. Seventy-one percent of licensed students who do not have their own cars reported that they can usually or always use a family car. Most students, particularly younger ones and females, reported that their parents expect them to conform to certain rules or restrictions when driving and when riding as passengers. The most common restrictions were that their parents asked them not to drive after drinking, to tell parents where they were going and with whom, and to be home at a certain time. Students were far less likely to report that their parents required that they wear seat belts.This work was supported by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.Received a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Yale University. Research interests are highway safety, pedestrian safety, and evaluation of training and education programs.Received a Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard University. Research interests are the factors related to motor vehicle injuries, drinking and driving, and the crash involvement of teenagers.Received a Ph.D. in social psychology from State University of New York at Buffalo. Research interests are health behavior and the role of the individual in public health.     

Restoration of competency to stand trial: Assessment with the Georgia Court Competency Test and the Competency Screening Test

Evaluations of the Georgia Court Competency Test—Mississippi Version Revised (GCCT-MSH) and the Competency Screening Test (CST) have supported their use with pretrial defendants in initial assessment of competency to stand trial. The present study evaluated the efficacy of these measures, as well as the Texas Competency Instrument, with an inpatient sample of defendants involved in a competency restoration program. Both measures were factor analyzed in an attempt to replicate previously identified factor structures. Neither factor structure was replicated; however, a distinct factor structure was identified for the GCCT-MSH. The relationships among sociodemographic variables, clinical variables, current symptomatology, and competency status (as measured by the GCCT-MSH) were evaluated using discriminant function analyses. The best predictors of GCCT-incompetency in this sample are a diagnosis of either a psychotic disorder or a nonpsychotic affective disorder as well as a low measured IQ. Current symptomatology, as measured by the SCL-90-R, was not an effective predictor of competency status.     

Explanatory models of malingering

Rogers (1990a, 1990b) proposed three models to explain why certain persons malinger mental illness: pathogenic, criminological, and adaptational. Highly experinced forensic experts (N=320) performed prototypical ratings on attributes associated with each model: the highest ratings were given to the adaptational model. In addition, a principal components analysis provided initial empirical support for these three explanatory models. The relevance of these findings to theory and clinical practice is discussed.     

Prototypical analysis of antisocial personality disorder

The diagnostic criteria for antisocial personality disorder (APD) have gone through successive modifications with DSM-II, DSM-III, DSM-III-R, and DSM-IV. We asked 331 forensic psychiatrists to make prototypic ratings of the DSM versions, PCL-R (Hare, 1991), and the ICD-10 dyssocial personality disorder. Four distinct factors emerged that encompassed the following dimensions: (a)unstable self image, unstable relationships and irresponsibility, (b)manipulation and lack of guilt, (c)aggressive behavior, and (d)nonviolent delinquency. These dimensions are discussed in light of an earlier prototypical analysis (Rogers et al., 1992) and raise questions concerning the DSM-IV criteria.Clarke Institute of Psychiatry.     

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING POLICY AND AMERICAN IDEAS: OLD PROBLEMS AND EMERGING PROGRAMS

The federal government has, relative to other areas of social welfare program activity, been especially slow in the development of employment and training policy. The reasons for this can be found in terms of an understanding of the most basic American political and economic ideas. The history of federal initiatives in employment and training policy is traced briefly and the impact of certain American political ideas on this pattern of development is analyzed. Particular attention is given to the issues of coordinating of employment and training programs and the increased role of the state and private sector in designing and managing such programs. It is suggested that in light of certain historic American political patterns, there might be costs to moving in commonly sought after ways that are not readily evident.