Assessing interpersonal functioning: Views from within and without

In order to better integrate research on personality pathology, interpersonal problems, and social skills, we applied the traditional methods of these three research strands (questionnaires, interviews, and interpersonal role-plays) to the same sample. Participants who attributed higher levels of interpersonal problems to themselves in general were also more critical of their own role-play performances, but these impressions were not mirrored by observer-ratings. Self-observer agreement in judging overall role-play performance was essentially zero. Interviewer-ratings of personality pathology had incremental validity over self-ratings in predicting observer-rated role-play performance. Self-reports of interpersonal functioning leave relevant behavioral variance untapped and thus should be complemented by other sources of information.     

Stress Generation in Adolescent Depression: The Moderating Role of Child Abuse and Neglect

The present study examined the role of childhood abuse and neglect and depression recurrence in moderating the generation of stressful life events in adolescent depression. Maltreatment history and stressful life events were assessed using two rigorous contextual interviews and rating systems. In a sample of 59 community depressed adolescents we found significantly higher rates of interpersonal events in the 3-month period immediately following depression episode onset versus the 3-month period immediately preceding onset in adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment. By contrast, rates of events remained constant over a matched period in a control group of non-maltreated adolescents. Furthermore, the generation of interpersonal events only held among those on a first onset of depression. These results suggest that a history of childhood abuse and neglect exacerbates the psychosocial dysfunction associated with the onset of depression, particularly in the very first episode.     

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Trajectories in Child Sexual Abuse Victims: An Analysis of Sex Differences Using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being

Very few studies have prospectively examined sex differences in posttraumatic stress symptoms and symptom trajectories in youth victimized by childhood sexual abuse. This study addresses that question in a relatively large sample of children, drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, who were between the ages of 8–16 years and who were reported to Child Protective Services for alleged sexual abuse. Sex differences were examined using t tests, logistic regression, and latent trajectory modeling. Results revealed that there were not sex differences in victims’ posttraumatic stress symptoms or trajectories. Whereas caseworkers substantiated girls’ abuse at higher rates than boys’ abuse and rated girls significantly higher than boys on level of harm, there were not sex differences in three more objective measures of abuse severity characteristics. Overall, higher caseworker ratings of harm predicted higher initial posttraumatic stress symptom levels, and substantiation status predicted shallower decreases in trauma symptoms over time. Implications for theory and intervention are discussed.     

Developing the Functional Assertiveness Scale: Measuring Dimensions of Objective Effectiveness and Pragmatic Politeness

The purpose of the present study was to develop a measure for functional assertiveness, the Functional Assertiveness Scale (FAS). Functional assertiveness is a new concept of assertiveness that represents a method of appropriate self‐expression. Functional assertiveness is defined as interpersonal communication that occurs when a speaker encounters interpersonal problems that should be resolved or has objectives that should be achieved, and the speaker's message is perceived as appropriate by the listener (Mitamura & Tanaka‐Matsumi, 2010, 2010c). Five studies were conducted in order to develop the FAS. In Study 1, we generated an item pool for FAS, and in Study 2 we developed the FAS prototype using this item pool. Study 3 examined the factorial validity, concurrent validity, and internal consistency of the FAS. Study 4 examined test–retest reliability of the FAS. Study 5 examined responsiveness on the FAS. The validity and reliability of the FAS and potential utility and clinical implication of the FAS are discussed.     

Child,Adolescent and Adult Psychiatric Disorders in Africa: Implications for Psychological Interventions

The authors start by critically discussing some core features of Western psychiatric diagnosis, and present the cultural formulation as one approach to ensure that the cultural aspects of the diagnostic process are addressed, followed by a summary of what is known about the causes of psychiatric disorder. Five arguments are presented that provide support for the importance of psychiatric disorders in Africa: prevalence rates are high; psychiatric disorder is associated with a considerable burden from disability; in most cases, adults with psychiatric disorders experienced the onset of their disorder in childhood or youth; psychiatric disorders are strongly associated with medical conditions; and effective interventions exist for the majority of people suffering from psychiatric disorders. Against this background, current mental health services in Africa are reviewed. Finally, some suggestions are provided for how those providing psychological interventions can contribute to addressing the challenges posed by psychiatric disorders in Africa.     

Predictors of changes in child behaviour following parent management training: Child,context, and therapy factors

This non‐randomised study examined a set of predictive factors of changes in child behaviour following parent management training (PMTO). Families of 331 Norwegian girls (26%) and boys with clinic‐level conduct problems participated. The children ranged in age from 3 to 12 years (M_age = 8.69). Retention rate was 72.2% at post‐assessment. Child‐, parent‐ and therapy‐level variables were entered as predictors of multi‐informant reported change in externalising behaviour and social skills. Behavioural improvements following PMTO amounted to 1 standard deviation on parent rated and ½ standard deviation on teacher rated externalising behaviour, while social skills improvements were more modest. Results suggested that children with higher symptom scores and lower social skills score at pre‐treatment were more likely to show improvements in these areas. According to both parent‐ and teacher‐ratings, girls tended to show greater improvements in externalising behaviour and social skills following treatment and, according to parents, ADHD symptomology appeared to inhibit improvements in social skills. Finally, observed increases in parental skill encouragement, therapists' satisfaction with treatment and the number of hours spent in therapy by children were also positive and significant predictors of child outcomes.     

Social skills and social phobia: An investigation of DSM-IV subtypes

Social phobia is characterized as pervasive social timidity in social settings. Although much is known about this disorder, aspects of its clinical presentation remain unexplored, in particular characteristics that distinguish the generalized and non-generalized subtypes. For example, it remains unclear whether patients with the non-generalized subtype display social skills deficits in social interactions, and if so, are these deficits clinically, as well as statistically, significant? In this study, adults with either the non-generalized (NGSP; n = 60) or generalized (GSP; n = 119) subtype of social phobia and adults with no psychological disorder (n = 200) completed an extensive behavioral assessment of social skill and social anxiety. As expected, adults with NGSP and GSP reported equal distress and displayed similar rates of avoidance during an Impromptu Speech Task when compared to adults with no disorder. In contrast, the three groups were distinctly different when interacting with another person in various social situations. Adults with NGSP displayed social skill deficits when compared to individuals with no disorder, but they had fewer deficits than the GSP subtype. However, the identified skill deficits were clinically as well as statistically significant only for the GSP subtype. The results are discussed in terms of the contribution of skill deficits to the conceptualization and treatment of social phobia.     

Language and persuasion: A discursive psychological approach

Across the social sciences, there is a wealth of research on the role of language in persuasion in interpersonal communication. Most of these studies have been conducted in laboratories using experimental methods, have taken a social cognitive perspective, and have focused on the effects of particular linguistic practices on how persuasive messages are understood, processed, and ultimately complied with. By contrast, less attention has been paid to how language can be used to create sequential, interactional, and social obligations, in everyday interactions, like sales encounters or business negotiations, where persuasion occurs naturally and is built into the fabric of the conversation. In reviewing the former approach to studying language and persuasion, in this paper, I highlight several critical shortcomings. Then, I argue that, when studying naturally occurring persuasion-in-interaction, a discursive psychological approach is better suited for investigating and theorising the interactional structures underpinning persuasion and the role of language therein.     

Communication and Cognition: The Social Beyond Language,Interaction and Culture

Cognition theories describe the social with terms like language, interaction or culture, whose theoretical status has also been discussed in modern sociology. These concepts are not well-positioned to understand the emergence and autonomy of social orders. Sociological theory of self-referential systems can be useful to reconstruct the bottom-up process which contributes to the emergence of the social as communication as well as to describe the way in which society exerts downward causation upon cognitive phenomena. The core of this theory is the systemic category of meaning as a shared horizon for psychic and social systems.     

Validation and predictive utility of the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire for Eating Disorders (SATAQ-ED): internalization of sociocultural ideals predicts weight gain

A widely used measure of societal influences on body image and eating disturbances—the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ) was validated in women with eating disorders. The original SATAQ and measures of convergence and divergence were administered to 165 eating disordered inpatients. Factor analyses were conducted to determine the underlying structure of the SATAQ. Convergent validity, diagnostic category norms and the predictive utility of the revised SATAQ were examined. Factor analyses indicated three factors: Internalization, Awareness, and Success. Internalization significantly predicted treatment success after controlling for admission BMI and drive for thinness. The revised SATAQ-ED measures multiple aspects of societal influence, predicts short-term outcome, and can be a useful tool for evaluating potential outcome and treatment efficacy.     

Psychiatric Disorders Associated with Substance Use Among Children and Adolescents: Findings from the Methods for the Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders (MECA) Study

The relationships between specific quantities and frequencies of alcohol, cigarette, and illicit substance use and substance use (SUD) and other psychiatric disorders were investigated among 1,285 randomly selected children and adolescents, aged 9 to 18, and their parents, from the Methods for the Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders (MECA) Study. Logistic regressions indicated that daily cigarette smoking, weekly alcohol consumption, and any illicit substance use in the past year were each independently associated with an elevated likelihood of diagnosis with SUD and other psychiatric disorders (anxiety, mood, or disruptive behavior disorders), controlling for sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, family income). The associations between the use of specific substances and specific psychiatric disorders varied as a function of gender.     

留守学前儿童接受性语言能力与社会退缩的关系:有调节的中介模型

为探讨留守学前儿童接受性语言能力与社会退缩的关系及其内部机制,采用教师评定问卷和测量法对484名留守学前儿童进行调查。结果表明：（1）接受性语言能力不仅对社会退缩具有显著负向预测作用,也能通过执行功能的中介作用负向预测社会退缩;（2）执行功能的中介作用受到师幼关系的调节,相对于高师幼关系水平的个体,间接效应在低师幼关系水平的个体中更为显著,具体而言,师幼关系调节了中介的后半路径;（3）此外,在高师幼关系水平的个体中,执行功能对社会退缩的负向预测作用以及执行功能在接受性语言能力与社会退缩之间的中介作用都不显著。研究结果有助于揭示接受性语言能力对社会退缩的影响及其内在作用机制,对留守学前儿童社会退缩的预防及干预具有一定的启示意义。     

Language in benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes abbreviated form: rolandic epilepsy and language

Although Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes (BECTS) has a good prognosis, a few studies have suggested the existence of language disorders relating to the interictal dysfunction of perisylvian language areas. In this study, we focused on language assessment in 16 children aged 6-15 currently affected by BECTS or in remission. An important proportion of children showed moderate or more severe language impairment. The most affected domains were expressive grammar and literacy skills. We found linguistic deficits during the course of epilepsy but also persistent deficits in children in remission, suggesting possible long-term effects. Our results support the hypothesis that BECTS may be associated with impairment to language and suggest the possibility of a direct link between epileptic activity and language development, and the existence of long-term consequences.     

Assessing Phonemic Fluency in Multilingual Contexts: Letter Selection Methodology and Demographically Stratified Norms for Three South African Language Groups

Because of their global clinical utility, phonemic fluency tests are frequently incorporated into neuropsychological assessment batteries. However, in heterogeneous societies their use is complicated by the lack of careful attention to using letters of equivalent difficulty across languages, and the paucity of norms stratified by relevant sociodemographic variables. In accordance with the International Test Commission's guidelines for adaptation of test material in multilingual contexts, this study provides (1) an internationally replicable methodological template for selecting appropriate letter sets; (2) empirical evidence to substantiate the equivalence of a letter set across three languages; (3) a template for evaluating the relative impact of sociodemographic variables on phonemic fluency; and (4) appropriately stratified norms for the letter set SBL (English and Afrikaans) / IBL (Xhosa) in a sample (N = 512) of urban participants (7–25 years with 1–17 years of education) from the Cape Town region of the Western Cape province of South Africa.     

有无二胎与父母教养能力感的关系:头胎子女亲子依恋的调节作用

研究选取650名中小学生为研究对象,采用父母教养能力感量表和亲子依恋安全性问卷,考察了有无二胎与父母教养能力感的关系,并探讨了头胎子女的父子依恋和母子依恋在有无二胎与父母教养能力感关系中的调节作用。研究发现：（1）二胎家庭中父母的教养能力感高于独生子女父母的教养能力感;（2）头胎子女的母子依恋能够调节有无二胎与父母教养能力感的关系：对于高母子依恋组的被试而言,有无二胎无法预测父母教养能力感,而对于低母子依恋组的被试来说,有无二胎能显著正向预测父母教养能力感。而父子依恋的调节作用不显著。结果表明,对高母子依恋群体而言,有无二胎不影响父母教养能力感,而对于低母子依恋群体来说,家庭中有二胎会促进父母教养能力感的发展。     

Philosophy's Real-World Consequences for Deaf People: Thoughts on Iconicity, Sign Language and Being Deaf

The body of philosophical knowledge concerning the relations among language, the senses, and deafness, interpreted as a canon of key ideas which have found their way into folk metaphysics, constitutes one of the historically sustained conditions of the oppression of deaf people. Jonathan Rée, with his book I see a voice, makes the point that a philosophical history, grounded in a phenomenological and causal concern with philosophical thought and social life, can offer an archaeology of philosophy's contribution to the social oppression of deaf people.This article offers support for such a project while being critical of Rée's philosophical phenomenology, since it presumes, àpriori, two ideas about deafness and sign language: firstly, that deaf experience is like hearing experience but without hearing; and secondly, that the iconic qualities of sign languages are strictly superficial phenomena. Both presumptions, it is argued here, derive from the same philosophical knowledge which has linked deafness to the sense of hearing and the voice, and in doing so secured an intellectual basis for the oppression of deaf people in social life.Instead it is proposed, using examples of sign language use, that deafness as sensory experience is best understood by reference to the sense of sight; that iconicity is a central creative resource in sign language formation, maintenance and productivity; that Rée's philosophical phenomenology, as a metatheoretical critique of philosophical knowledge, proves unable to selfreflexively uncover (let alone overcome) existing presumptions in philosophy and social life; and that as a consequence that project itself risks perpetuating, within philosophy, key conditions of the oppression of deaf people.     

有无二胎与父母教养能力感的关系:头胎子女亲子依恋的调节作用

研究选取650名中小学生为研究对象,采用父母教养能力感量表和亲子依恋安全性问卷,考察了有无二胎与父母教养能力感的关系,并探讨了头胎子女的父子依恋和母子依恋在有无二胎与父母教养能力感关系中的调节作用。研究发现：（1）二胎家庭中父母的教养能力感高于独生子女父母的教养能力感;（2）头胎子女的母子依恋能够调节有无二胎与父母教养能力感的关系：对于高母子依恋组的被试而言,有无二胎无法预测父母教养能力感,而对于低母子依恋组的被试来说,有无二胎能显著正向预测父母教养能力感。而父子依恋的调节作用不显著。结果表明,对高母子依恋群体而言,有无二胎不影响父母教养能力感,而对于低母子依恋群体来说,家庭中有二胎会促进父母教养能力感的发展。