Assessing the effectiveness of a multimedia-based lab for upper division psychology students

The efficacy of multimedia-based training in producing increased learning was evaluated. Two multimedia software packages were compared with live or videotaped lectures on the same material. Results differed by type of student (low or high initial knowledge) and type of program. Multimedia training programs may need to provide more aid to students with less initial knowledge in the training domain. In addition, the effects of multimedia may be subtle and therefore require rigorous evaluation.     

HOME ACCESS MODIFICATIONS: EFFECTS ON COMMUNITY VISITS BY PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

We examined the effects of access modifications to home entrances of people with physical disabilities on their reported community outings. An interrupted time-series design was used, in which the introduction of ramps was staggered across the homes of 6 people with moderate to severe mobility impairments. Four participants reported increases in weekly outings following installation of ramps at their entrances, and 2 reported a small decrease. These findings suggest that reducing the response requirements of access to and from the residence of people with mobility impairments may increase community visits, but may be insufficient given other environmental barriers in the community.     

Sensation-seeking motivation and social-support moderators of the life stress/illness relationship: some contradictory and confirmatory evidence

The present study examined the relationship between measures of life change and reported physical and psychological symptoms as a function of the person's degree of sensation-seeking motivation (SSM) and of social support. A sample of firefighters was tested and showed that, contrary to previous reports, those relatively high in SSM showed a significantly stronger relationship between life change and illness than did those relatively low in SSM. Social support, however, did act to reduce the relationship between change and illness, in line with the evidence from previous investigations.     

Addressing Weight Suppression to Improve Treatment Outcome for Bulimia Nervosa

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is regarded as the gold-standard treatment for bulimia nervosa (BN), yet despite impressive empirical support for its effectiveness, over 50% of patients fail to achieve abstinence from binge eating and purging by the end of treatment. One factor that may contribute to reduced efficacy rates in CBT is weight suppression (WS; the difference between a person's highest weight ever at their adult height and current weight). A growing body of research indicates that WS in patients with BN may have a clinically significant effect on symptomatology and prognosis. However, the current cognitive behavioral framework for BN does not explicitly acknowledge the role of WS in the onset or maintenance of BN symptoms and does not provide guidance for clinicians on how to address WS during treatment. The relationship between WS, biological pressure to regain lost weight, and the maintenance of BN symptoms suggest that current cognitive behavioral models of BN may be improved by considering the role of WS and exploring needed treatment modifications. Indeed, a reconceptualization of existing models may offer insight into potential strategies that can be used to reduce the susceptibility to treatment dropout, nonresponse, and relapse. It is therefore necessary to consider whether, and how, clinicians' consideration of WS during case conceptualization and treatment planning could serve to improve CBT outcomes. The current review explores ways in which high WS could contribute to poor CBT outcomes, provides preliminary clinical recommendations for incorporating WS into existing cognitive behavioral treatments based on extant data and clinical wisdom, and proposes suggestions for future research needed in this domain.     

Disability and employment – overview and highlights

Due to the expected decline in the working-age population, especially in European countries, people with disabilities are now more often recognized as a valuable resource in the workforce and research into disability and employment is more important than ever. This paper outlines the state of affairs of research on disability and employment. We thereby focus on one particular group of people with disabilities, that is to say people with mental disabilities. We define disability according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) of the World Health Organization, by that recognizing that disability results from the interaction of person and environment. Key issues, including the complexity of defining disability, the legal situation in Europe and North America concerning disability at work, and barriers and enablers to employment, are discussed. For each of the topics we show important findings in the existing literature and indicate where more in-depth research is needed. We finalize with a concrete research agenda on disability and employment and provide recommendations for practice.     

The formation of linked perceptual classes

Multiple-exemplar training with stimuli in four domains induced two new fill-based (A1' and A2') and satellite-image-based (B1' and B2') perceptual classes. Conditional discriminations were established between the endpoints of the A1' and B1' classes as well as the A2' and B2' classes. The emergence of linked perceptual classes was evaluated by the performances occasioned by nine cross-class probes that contained fill variants as samples and satellite variants as comparisons, along with nine other cross-class probes that consisted of satellite variants as samples and fill variants as comparisons. The 18 probes were first presented serially and then concurrently. Class-consistent responding indicated the emergence of linked perceptual classes. Of the linked perceptual classes, 70% emerged during the initial serial test. An additional 20% of the linked perceptual classes emerged during the subsequently presented concurrent test block. Thus, linked perceptual classes emerged on an immediate or delayed basis. Linked perceptual classes, then, share structural and fuctional similarities with equivalence classes, generalized equivalence classes, cross-modal classes, and complex maturally occurring categories, and may clarify processes such as intersensory perception.     

Ethnic diversity and perceptions of safety in urban middle schools

Students' perceptions of their safety and vulnerability were investigated in 11 public middle schools (more than 70 sixth-grade classrooms) that varied in ethnic diversity. Results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicate that higher classroom diversity is associated with feelings of safety and social satisfaction. African American (n= 511) and Latino (n= 910) students felt safer in school, were less harassed by peers, felt less lonely, and had higher self-worth the more ethnically diverse their classrooms were, even when controlling for classroom differences in academic engagement. Results at the school level were similar to those at the classroom level; higher ethnic diversity was associated with lower levels of self-reported vulnerability (but no difference in self-worth) in both fall and spring of sixth grade. In the spirit of Brown v. Board of Education, the current findings offer new empirical evidence for the psychological benefits of multiethnic schools.     

A model for outpatient care

Chaplains have seriously discussed outpatient care for a number of years. This article describes a model of thorough and intentional outpatient care that is practiced in conjunction with an inpatient care to cancer populations. Rationales, values, institutional dynamics, and clinical care are discussed. Although the focus is on outpatient care where slightly more than 50% of personnel resources are invested, the care also occurs in the context of both inpatient care and follow-up care after discharge to home. A general model of spiritual and religious care and more specific models pertinent to hematopoietic stem cell transplant populations and general oncology populations are described. The models attend times of distress and times of "ordinary" and celebratory experiences, attend care of patient, caregiver, and staff.     

The relations of problem behavior status to children's negative emotionality, effortful control, and impulsivity: concurrent relations and prediction of change

The relations of children's internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors to their concurrent regulation, impulsivity (reactive undercontrol), anger, sadness, and fearfulness and these aspects of functioning 2 years prior were examined. Parents and teachers completed measures of children's (N = 185; ages 6 through 9 years) adjustment, negative emotionality, regulation, and behavior control; behavioral measures of regulation also were obtained. In general, both internalizing and externalizing problems were associated with negative emotionality. Externalizers were low in effortful regulation and high in impulsivity, whereas internalizers, compared with nondisordered children, were low in impulsivity but not effortful control. Moreover, indices of negative emotionality, regulation, and impulsivity with the level of the same variables 2 years before controlled predicted stability versus change in problem behavior status.