Researchers have proposed that the cognitive distortions of sexual offenders are underpinned by a number of implicit cognitive processes termed implicit theories. Until recently, however, the implicit theory hypothesis has received little empirical support due to broader limitations with standard forensic assessment procedures. The current research aimed to determine whether a new assessment methodology, the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP), could provide further evidence for Ward and Keenan's (1999) children as sexual beings implicit theory. The results indicated that the IRAP was significantly more effective at identifying core implicit differences between sexual offenders against children and nonoffenders than a cognitive distortion questionnaire. Furthermore, although both groups demonstrated an overall response bias towards adults as sexual and children as nonsexual, this bias was significantly impaired in the sexual offender group. The findings are discussed in relation to previous implicit theory research and recommendations for the development of implicit methodologies are made.

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Functional analysis provides a method of understanding behaviour in terms of its consequences for the individual concerned. The suggestion is made here that the application of this method to past behaviour will be useful to both practitioners and researchers. It offers benefits in terms of organising case material, understanding the aetiology of the behaviour, planning interventions and predicting dangerousness. It should be noted, however, that this is not an exercise in developing causal models of specific offences. In this paper multiple sequential functional analysis methodology is described and the problems of applying it retrospectively to criminal behaviours discussed. The methodology is illustrated with the case of a man who formulated a plan to kill 20 people and was convicted of two counts of attempted murder.

Purpose-This paper seeks to extend the focus of positive psychology research to individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) to address an aspect of social exclusion experienced by this disadvantaged client group. Design/methodology/approach-The article summarises and builds on the outcomes of an earlier subjective wellbeing in psychosis study and arrives at original implications to challenge socially exclusive assumptions about limited emotional capabilities of those with SMI. The authors make suggestions for enhancing the wellbeing of people with SMI from the perspective of social inclusion. Data were gathered through validated self-report rating scales and analysed statistically. Findings-The levels of subjective wellbeing within the sample were shown to approximate those established in the general population. Depression was demonstrated to mediate the effects that the experience of psychosis had on participants' life satisfaction. Psychosis did not appear to prevent individuals from experiencing happiness, although when associated with depression, life satisfaction was lowered. Research limitations/implications- Because of the focus on subjective aspects of wellbeing, external indicators of objective quality of life were not explored. Individual appraisals of experiences of psychosis were not investigated. Originality/value-The study demonstrates that individuals with psychosis are capable of experiencing happiness. Thus, it challenges an aspect of a widespread socially exclusive assumption about limited internal capabilities of those with SMI. It also highlights that those with combined symptoms of psychosis and depression are in particular need of multidisciplinary support to enhance their wellbeing. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved

A correlational study examined the suppositions of Headey and Wearing's fourdimension model of subjective wellbeing (SWB) and psychological distress amongst people experiencing psychosis. The research objective was to replicate the model with the studied sample and to examine how emotional distress resulting from psychosis affects the individuals' satisfaction with life and positive affect levels. Forty-seven individuals with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia completed self-report measures of psychoticism, paranoid ideation, depression and anxiety (Brief Symptom Inventory), positive affect (Affect Balance Scale), and life satisfaction (Satisfaction With Life Scale). Correlational patterns of the four-dimension model were replicated with individuals experiencing psychosis. Although the levels of depression and anxiety were clearly elevated in comparison with general population norms, the levels of positive affect remained similar to those in the general population, and the average life satisfaction appeared only slightly decreased. Depression was found to act as a dominant mediator between the severity of experiences of psychosis and satisfaction with life. Possible explanations for the findings are proposed and implications from the positive clinical psychology perspective are suggested. Based on the study outcomes it is argued that: (1) psychosis does not equal unhappiness, (2) psychosis does not immobilize adaptive mechanisms of SWB, (3) psychosis does not exempt individuals from positive mood set-points, and (4) psychosis does not indiscriminately lower life satisfaction.