Evaluation of the NITV CVSA

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a commonly used voice stress analyzer, the National Institute of Truth Verification's (NITV) Computer Voice Stress Analyzer (CVSA), using a speech database containing materials recorded (i) in the laboratory, while highly controlled deceptive and shock-induced stress levels were systematically varied, and (ii) during a field procedure. Subjects were 24 each males/females (age range 18-63 years) drawn from a representative population. All held strong views on an issue and were required to make sharply derogatory statements about it. The CVSA system was then evaluated in a double-blind study using three sets of examiners: (i) two UF scientists trained/certified by NITV in CVSA operation, (ii) three experienced NITV operators provided by the manufacturer and (iii) five experimental phoneticians. The results showed that the "true positive" (or hit) rates for all examiners ranged from chance to somewhat higher levels (c. 50-65%) for all conditions and types of materials (e.g., stress vs. unstressed, truth vs. deception). However, the false-positive rate was just as high - often higher. Sensitivity statistics demonstrated that the CVSA system operated at about chance level.     

论警察心理支持系统的构建

在社会变迁的过程中,基于职业特点,警察心理压力不断增加,心理应激越来越多。警察心理健康状况不断恶化的问题亟待关注和解决,警察心理支持系统的构建刻不容缓。警察心理支持系统包括政府支持、组织支持、家庭支持、朋辈支持、环境支持。     

谈人民警察心理压力的个体调适

人民警察,由于职业的特殊性,作为高风险、高负荷、高强度的＂三高＂群体,在所有应激职业中,心理压力高居首位,其心理压力指数高于常人很多倍。心理学家认为,当过大的心理压力不能得到及时有效的调节和缓解时,不仅会对人民警察的身心健康造成危害,还会影响工作效率,甚至导致自杀或激情犯罪。因此,关注人民警察心理压力问题,重视缓解人民警察的心理压力,寻求有效的心理压力的调适方法,对于进一步提高人民警察的综合素质,增强警察队伍的凝聚力、战斗力,具有极其重要的意义。     

Secondary Traumatic Stress in the Courtroom: Suggestions for Preventing Vicarious Trauma Resulting from Child Sexual Abuse Imagery

The internet and social media have added to an increase in sexual imagery. As a result, law enforcement, judicial officers and court ordered counselors will be exposed to an increase of images. While not every individual will experience post‐traumatic stress symptoms, it is anticipated there is risk for impact. The impact of viewing images can include an increase in vicarious trauma symptoms, burnout, and a possible decrease in impartiality. This paper offers suggestions for self‐care in the services of preventing collateral damage.     

Perceived workplace adversity and correctional officer psychological well-being: an international examination of the impact of officer response styles

Correctional officers work in a highly challenging environment and are at a heightened risk of a range of negative stress-related health conditions. This study examines how correctional officer responses to adversity moderate the association between perceived workplace adversity and psychological well-being. The aim was to assess the degree that perceived workplace adversity predicts correctional officer psychological well-being and the subsequent impact on negative organizational outcomes such as absenteeism, presenteeism and job dissatisfaction. Hundred and seventy four officers completed an online questionnaire including measures of perceived workplace adversity, officer responses, psychological well-being and organizational impact. Structural Equation Modelling revealed that a heightened perception of workplace adversity predicted lower psychological well-being and in turn increased negative organizational impacts. Analyses indicated that using an interpersonal/solution focused response style moderated the relationship between perceived workplace adversity and psychological well-being, reducing its negative impact on well-being and in turn the frequency of negative organizational impacts. These findings offer insight into how officers’ perceptions of their working environment and how they respond to workplace adversity influence their psychological well-being and the organizations that employ them.     

School-based Stress Management Training for Adolescents: Longitudinal Results from an Experimental Study

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a school-based universal preventive stress management training program for early and middle adolescents in comparison with a no-treatment control group. The study examined the intervention effects of age (early versus middle adolescents) and gender on perceived stress, interpersonal coping, and self-efficacy prior, immediately after as well as 3 months after the intervention. Three hundred and twenty adolescents (ages 10–14 years) participated in the study. Whereas both experimental conditions did not differ substantially in baseline scores, the experimental group scored higher on perceived self-efficacy compared to the control group at the follow-up assessment. Additionally, the experimental group showed less perceived stress and more adaptive coping at the post and follow-up assessment. Age-dependent intervention effects suggested that early adolescents primarily benefited from the treatment. Although the effects must be replicated using a randomized design, the current findings reveal that the program does strengthen important protective factors for the psychosocial development of adolescents.

Behind the ‘Miracle’: Non‐Traditional Agro‐Exports and Water Stress in Marginalised Areas of Ica,Peru

Expansion in the non‐traditional agricultural export sector following neoliberal reform has precipitated an economic transformation in Peru. Non‐traditional agricultural export growth has brought environmental, social and distributive costs. This article critically examines the Peruvian asparagus boom and the impact of this on water availability among marginal groups. Based on primary case study fieldwork, the paper asserts that the agro‐export model is causing the over‐exploitation of important groundwater supplies in the Ica Valley where almost all of Peru's fresh asparagus is produced. This reveals wider issues concerning neoliberal development and the political economy of natural resource allocation in Latin America.     

General-Purpose Local Government Defaults: Type,Trend, and Impact

Local governments default on bonds when they fail to comply with the monetary and nonmonetary aspects of the debt contracts. Analyses of defaults have relied on reports from credit rating agencies, which include only rated bonds undergoing monetary defaults. Using a unique and comprehensive dataset of defaults, we examine all general-purpose government defaults from 2009 to 2015 and find defaults to be more common than previously reported. We present a typology of defaults and characteristics of defaulted bonds. Most defaults occur among nongeneral obligation bonds and did not affect the yield of future, unrelated credits of the same issuer, providing support to the credit segmentation hypothesis.     

警察心理压力问卷调查分析

警察职业是高风险、高负荷、高强度的"三高"职业,压力普遍较大。压力是外界要求与个体自身能力、或个体价值需求与外部条件不相匹配而产生的难以应付的身心紧张状态。通过对在职民警的警察心理压力问卷调查及相关分析、差异检验等实证的分析,进一步认清警察心理压力的产生。     

Research on the Dynamic Effect of China’s Financial Stress and the Macro-economy in the New Era

With regard to China’s economic and financial characteristics in new era, this paper constructs the China’s Financial Stress Index with financial market leading indicators to measure China’s financial risk during January 2002 and June 2016. Besides, this paper utilizes SVAR model to study the dynamic effect between financial stress and macro-economy. The results show that China is in the phase of high financial risk now, and it is likely to face higher long-term financial stress. The financial risk itself is inertial and has a significant negative influence on the confidence of economic players and the real estate market. The confidence of economic players and the fluctuation in the real estate market obviously reflect the financial stress. Such reflection will last for a long time and the influence of financial stress goes stronger with the lapse of time and has an obvious lagged effect.