On the advancement and software support of decision‐making in focused ultrasound therapy

Focused ultrasound therapy (FUS) is a modern and promising way for minimally invasive cancer treatment. Recent advances in treatment technology, bio‐physical models, and numerical simulation methods have given rise to a significant curative potential. However, clinical routine of FUS still features classical planning approaches, which widely fail in exploiting this potential. The structure of FUS planning problems strongly suggests interactive multi‐criteria decision‐making concepts in order to improve treatment quality. This research work introduces an multi‐criteria decision‐making approach to FUS planning and explains how to bridge the conceptual gap between the clinical state of the art and this new planning paradigm.     

Predicting retirement preparation through the design of a new measure

Researchers' capacity to investigate retirement planning behaviour is impeded by the lack of rigorous measurement within the literature. For this study, a comprehensive measure based on the reflexive planning domains of public protection, self‐insurance, and self‐protection was developed and evaluated in a sample of 174 employees aged ≥45 years. Variables of gender, age, income and core self‐evaluations were examined for their influence on planning effort in each of the three domains. Results indicated a clean, three‐factor structure for retirement planning behaviours. All variables emerged as predictors of planning effort in one or more domains. Implications of results for future research into retirement planning and the targeting of planning interventions are discussed.     

The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS): An Evolving Evidence‐Based Clinical Approach to Suicidal Risk

The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) is an evidence‐based clinical intervention that has significantly evolved over 25 years of clinical research. CAMS is best understood as a therapeutic framework that emphasizes a unique collaborative assessment and treatment planning process between the suicidal patient and clinician. This process is designed to enhance the therapeutic alliance and increase treatment motivation in the suicidal patient. Central to the CAMS approach is the use of the Suicide Status Form (SSF), which is a multipurpose clinical assessment, treatment planning, tracking, and outcome tool. The original development of CAMS was largely rooted in SSF‐based quantitative and qualitative assessment of suicidal risk. As this line of research progressed, CAMS emerged as a problem‐focused clinical intervention that is designed to target and treat suicidal “drivers” and ultimately eliminate suicidal coping. To date, CAMS (and the clinical use of the SSF) has been supported by six published correlational studies and one randomized clinical trial (RCT). Currently, two well‐powered RCTs are under way, and various new CAMS‐related projects are also being pursued. The clinical and empirical evolution of CAMS—how it was developed and what are the next steps for this clinical approach–are described here.     

Targeting low career confidence using the career planning confidence scale

The authors describe the development and validation of a test of career planning confidence that makes possible the targeting of specific problem issues in employment counseling. The scale, developed using a rational process and the authors' experience with clients, was tested for criterion‐related validity against 2 other measures. The scale produced a 6‐factor structure that replicates common career planning models: Readiness to Make a Career Decision, Self‐Assessment, Generating Options, Information Seeking, Deciding, and Implementing a Decision. Validity and reliability of the scale are discussed, along with suggestions for employment counseling practice.     

Risk–need–responsivity and its application in behavioral health settings: A feasibility study of a treatment planning support tool

The risk–need–responsivity (RNR) model suggests several key practices for justice‐involved populations under correctional supervision. Behavioral health treatment planning aligned with RNR principles for offender populations with co‐occurring mental health and substance use disorders (CODs) could be one method for integrating RNR into clinical care. To explore a unique approach to working with behavioral health and RNR principles, the authors implemented a mixed‐methods feasibility study of the acceptability, usability, and utility of a newly developed RNR treatment planning support tool (RNR TST). The tool was implemented in a re‐entry program serving adults with co‐occurring mental health and opioid use disorders. Chart reviews of RNR TSTs (N = 55) and a focus group (N = 14 re‐entry clinical staff) were conducted. Ninety‐six percent of the RNR TSTs incorporated the use of a validated risk–need assessment and 70% of the RNR TSTs were semi‐complete to complete. Focus group interviews highlighted behavioral health staff perspectives on the acceptability, usability, and utility of the RNR TST. This novel RNR TST has the potential to assist behavioral health providers in integrating RNR principles into treatment planning. Further development and testing are needed to determine its impact on client care and outcomes.     

Differing national orientations toward the future: A comparative examination of societal characteristics and public opinion∗

A consistent theme underlying many discussions of the future is the notion that the tenor of public opinion helps determine the success of long‐term planning and other efforts to make the years ahead desirable. This paper investigates social conditions fostering widespread citizen concern with the future by relating two orientations toward the future to selected national dimensions. A widening array of future hopes is found to be linked to increasing per capita income, decreasing population size and non‐Western international alignment, while optimism about the future is inhibited by increasing urbanization and a plural social structure. Further, among the non‐Western nations studied, optimism is moderate, regardless of breadth or volume of hopes, but the two future orientations are inversely related within the Western group. This differential pattern is related to the fact that the extent to which planning is integral to government varies in terms of international alignment.     

Identifying the Developmental Strengths of Juvenile Offenders: Assessing Four Life‐Skills Dimensions

The authors describe the development of the Life‐Skills Development Scale Juvenile Form, a brief self‐report instrument for assessing the life‐skills development of juvenile offenders. Reliability and validity findings are presented, implications for treatment planning are provided, and recommendations for further research are discussed.     

Speech Planning at Turn Transitions in Dialog Is Associated With Increased Processing Load

Speech planning is a sophisticated process. In dialog, it regularly starts in overlap with an incoming turn by a conversation partner. We show that planning spoken responses in overlap with incoming turns is associated with higher processing load than planning in silence. In a dialogic experiment, participants took turns with a confederate describing lists of objects. The confederate’s utterances (to which participants responded) were pre‐recorded and varied in whether they ended in a verb or an object noun and whether this ending was predictable or not. We found that response planning in overlap with sentence‐final verbs evokes larger task‐evoked pupillary responses, while end predictability had no effect. This finding indicates that planning in overlap leads to higher processing load for next speakers in dialog and that next speakers do not proactively modulate the time course of their response planning based on their predictions of turn endings. The turn‐taking system exerts pressure on the language processing system by pushing speakers to plan in overlap despite the ensuing increase in processing load.     

How planning facilitates behaviour change: Additive and interactive effects of a randomized controlled trial

Planning interventions have proven effective to change behaviour. However, less is known about their underlying mechanisms. To better understand the processes by which planning interventions unfold their effects, a combined action planning and coping planning intervention was tested in a field setting, with the focus on mediating and moderating effects of theory‐derived social‐cognitive variables. In a randomized controlled trial, 374 employees of a logistics company were asked to participate in either a combined action planning and coping planning intervention or an active control group. Four weeks later, self‐reported changes in fruit and vegetable intake, action planning, coping planning, intentions and self‐efficacy were measured. Single and simultaneous mediating effects on behaviour were tested with intention‐to‐treat analyses, along with interaction effects between planning processes. Action planning and coping planning mediated intervention effects on fruit and vegetable intake not only separately, but also simultaneously (multiple mediation). Action planning and coping planning had main and interactive effects on behaviour change (moderation). Action planning and coping planning may exert both additive and synergistic effects on health behaviour change. Volitional interventions should include both action planning and coping planning components and stimulate the use of planning in everyday life. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparing different boosters of planning interventions on changes in fat consumption in overweight and obese individuals: A randomized controlled trial

Single planning interventions have been found to promote short‐term dietary change. Repeated planning interventions may foster long‐term effects on behavior change. It remains unknown whether there is a critical number of boosters to establish long‐term maintenance of behavioral changes. This study aimed at investigating what social‐cognitive variables mediate the effects of the interventions on dietary behavior change. Overall, 373 participants (n = 270 women, 72.4%; age M = 52.42, SD = 12.79) were randomly allocated to one of five groups: a control group, a single planning group, and three groups with 3, 6, or 9 weeks’ repeated planning interventions. Follow‐ups took place 4, 6, and 12 months after baseline. Change in fat consumption was not promoted by any of the interventions. In terms of social‐cognitive variables, intentions, self‐efficacy and coping planning displayed a time × group interaction, with the 9 weeks’ planning group showing the most beneficial effects. Effect sizes, however, were very small. None of the tested planning interventions successfully promoted change in fat consumption across the 12 month period. This, however, could not be explained by problems with adherence to the intervention protocol. Potential explanations for this unexpected result are discussed.     

Beyond the image paradigm: Systemic evolution through participative planning

This paper is an attempt at introducing a formal framework for societal, participative, anticipatory, inner‐change oriented and open‐ended ‘’ learning for evolution.” The key point of our approach is that it considers the evolution of a social system not exclusively as an appropriate result of the given system structure, operating and behaving under external constraints; but mainly as an outer (or observable) consequence of some inner changes brought about from within the system of heterogenous actors‐designers in their effort to cope with complexities generated equally by external constraints and by the network of mutual relationships between them. The actors‐designers are thus trying to assess critically the courses the system could possibly take in the future and also to isolate —through a dialogue between them—the so‐called “evolutionary” ones. Consequently, a policy‐oriented approach to “social homcorhesis” is obtained. It opens the way to a participative planning outlook on societal learning.     

Quick to Act,Quick to Forget: The Link Between Impulsiveness and Prospective Memory

Several traits of impulsiveness (e.g. lack of planning and perseverance, difficulty focusing attention) seem intimately connected to the skills required for successful prospective memory performance. This is the first study to examine whether the various inter‐correlated dimensions of impulsiveness are related to problems with prospective memory. Undergraduate students (N = 184) completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11, the Prospective Memory Questionnaire, the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire, and two objective prospective memory tests. Results revealed consistent correlations between the various dimensions of impulsiveness (attentional, motor, non‐planning) and self‐reported problems with prospective memory. Subsequent regression analyses indicated that attentional impulsiveness is a unique predictor of self‐reported problems with internally cued prospective memory, and non‐planning impulsiveness is a unique predictor of self‐reported problems with episodic and overall prospective memory. Similarly, findings from the objective prospective tests showed that non‐planning impulsiveness was related to worse performance on the two prospective memory tests. Whereas non‐planning impulsiveness was also related to using fewer prospective memory‐aiding strategies, mediation analyses showed that use of these strategies does not account for any of the detected relationships. Because the findings suggest that a failure to plan does not underlie the detected effects, other potential explanations for the relationships are discussed. Copyright © 2013 European Association of Personality Psychology     

A Preliminary Study Using the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory—Adolescent Form as an Outcome Measure With Adolescent Offenders

The authors describe a preliminary study using the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory‐Adolescent Form (SASS‐A; E Miller, 1994) as an outcome measure with adolescent offenders. Results indicate that the SASSI‐A can be successfully used as a treatment planning tool as well as a measure to evaluate programs.     

Looking ahead from age 6 to 13: A deeper insight into the development of planning ability

Planning ability gradually increases throughout childhood. However, it remains unknown whether this is attributable to global factors such as an increased ability and willingness to inhibit premature, impulsive responding, or due to the availability of specific planning operations, such as being able to mentally plan ahead more steps (‘search depth’) or to derive a clear temporal order of goals by the task layout (‘goal hierarchy’). Here, we studied the development of planning ability with respect to these global and problem‐specific aspects (search depth and goal hierarchy) of performance in 178 children from 6 to 13 years using the Tower of London task. As expected, global performance gradually developed with age. In accordance, planning durations increasingly reflected global problem demands with longer pre‐planning in harder problems. Furthermore, specific planning parameters revealed that children were increasingly capable of mentally searching ahead more steps. In contrast, the ability to derive a goal hierarchy did not show age‐related changes. While the global development of planning performance and adaptive planning durations were proposed to primarily reflect enhanced self‐monitoring, the specific increase in search depth across childhood that most likely proceeds until young adult age represents more directly planning‐related processes. Thus, development of planning ability is supported by multiple contributions.     

Implementation Planning as a Pathway Between Goal Motivation and Goal Progress for Academic and Physical Activity Goals1

The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the role of self‐concordance and implementation planning on the progress made by university students in the pursuit of their academic and physical activity goals over a 1‐month period. A sample of 205 students completed measures of self‐concordance at Time 1, and implementation planning and goal progress at Time 2. Results of structural equation modeling analyses indicated that implementation planning partially mediated the relationship between self‐concordance and academic goal progress, and fully mediated this relationship for goals related to physical activity. The results attest to the importance of selecting goals that are congruent with the self and the use of planning strategies for the facilitation of goal progress in 2 life domains.     

The Mental Status Examination: Its Use by Professional Counselors

Although not a formal psychometric instrument, the mental status examination (MSE) has been used predominantly in psychiatry, clinical psychology, and social work for several decades, but is being increasingly used by counselors in work settings requiring assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders. The MSE is used to obtain information about the client's level of functioning and self‐presentation. Generally conducted (formally or informally) during the initial or intake interview, the MSE can also provide counselors with a helpful format for organizing objective (observations of clients) and subjective (data provided by clients) information to use in diagnosis and treatment planning.     

Another dragon in the kitchen: Psychological experiences of hepatitis C treatment among HIV‐hepatitis C co‐infected gay men

Background: Increasing numbers of HIV‐infected gay men acquire hepatitis C virus (HCV) co‐infection, which causes serious medical consequences. Treatment for HCV is associated with many severe side effects, in some cases psychological, and many patients subsequently fail to adhere, even when psychological services are utilised, to improve treatment adherence. Objective: This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of HIV‐infected gay men undergoing treatment for HCV in order to inform psychological services to better meet specific treatment needs of this population. Methods: Thirteen HIV‐infected gay men who had undergone HCV treatment were interviewed and a qualitative analysis was conducted. Participants described HCV and its treatments in the context of their relationships and lifestyles. Findings: Four domains emerged: HCV diagnosis and treatment; HCV treatment education; change in sense of self; and sexual risk‐taking. Adhering to treatment was a significant challenge for all participants and emerged across all domains. Discussion: Psychological services for this population of co‐infected gay men should assist this clinical population not only with adherence to hepatitis C treatment but should also be available at an earlier stage in the process to help patients make informed choices about whether or not to begin a course of treatment. Assessing factors such as coping strategies, treatment readiness and knowledge, self‐awareness, and level of risk‐taking, can guide clinicians in tailoring treatment and adherence planning for HIV/HCV‐co‐infected gay men.     

Proactive career behaviours and career success during the early career

The current article tests a longitudinal model of the process of proactive career behaviours and career success with two samples of graduates making the transition from college to work. Using structural equation modelling, we tested a theoretical model that specified the relationships between career progress goals, career planning, networking behaviours, and career success. A longitudinal panel study was conducted within two samples using a 3‐year (sample 1) and 1‐year (sample 2) time lag between the first and second data collection. The results support the process model and suggest that at graduation, career planning is affected by the goal of making career progress. In turn, career planning is positively associated with networking behaviours. Both career planning and networking at graduation are positively related to career planning and networking 1 year later (sample 1) but in sample 2, in which a 3‐year time lag was used, these relationships were no longer significant. Support is found for the relationship between networking during the early career and objective and subjective career success. The findings are discussed in terms of their general implications for understanding the proactive career behaviour process through which graduates affect their career success during the first years of their professional career.     

Socioeconomic status and executive function: developmental trajectories and mediation

Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) predicts executive function (EF), but fundamental aspects of this relation remain unknown: the developmental course of the SES disparity, its continued sensitivity to SES changes during that course, and the features of childhood experience responsible for the SES–EF relation. Regarding course, early disparities would be expected to grow during development if caused by accumulating stressors at a given constant level of SES. Alternatively, they would narrow if schooling partly compensates for the effects of earlier deprivation, allowing lower‐SES children to ‘catch up’. The potential for later childhood SES change to affect EF is also unknown. Regarding mediating factors, previous analyses produced mixed answers, possibly due to correlation amongst candidate mediators. We address these issues with measures of SES, working memory and planning, along with multiple candidate mediators, from the NICHD Study of Early Childcare (n = 1009). Early family income‐to‐needs and maternal education predicted planning by first grade, and income‐to‐needs predicted working memory performance at 54 months. Effects of early SES remained consistent through middle childhood, indicating that the relation between early indicators of SES and EF emerges in childhood and persists without narrowing or widening across early and middle childhood. Changes in family income‐to‐needs were associated with significant changes in planning and trend‐level changes in working memory. Mediation analyses supported the role of early childhood home characteristics in explaining the association between SES and EF, while early childhood maternal sensitivity was specifically implicated in the association between maternal education and planning. Early emerging and persistent SES‐related differences in EF, partially explained by characteristics of the home and family environment, are thus a potential source of socioeconomic disparities in achievement and health across development.