An examination of learned helplessness among attention-deficit hyperactivity disordered boys

We employed a learned helplessness paradigm to compare the performance of 23 boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a comparable group of 22 nonreferred boys. The boys attempted to solve two different sets of 10 find-a-word puzzles, one set following exposure to solvable puzzles, and one set following exposure to insolvable puzzles. Results revealed that the ADHD boys solved significantly fewer puzzles than did the control boys. In addition, the ADHD boys gave up on significantly more puzzles, and this was especially true following the insolvable condition when it occurred during the second set of puzzles. The ADHD boys also reported being more frustrated by the task than were the control boys. Finally, among the control boys, support was obtained for Diener and Dweck's (1978) distinction between mastery-oriented and helpless children. However, this distinction did not appear to operate in the same fashion for the ADHD boys.The auhors thank Caryn Carlson and William Pelham for their help in creating the task stimuli and Monica Harris and Steven Landau for their helpful comments.     

Unidimensional versus multidimensional approaches to the assessment of acculturation for Asian American populations

This study used generational status and the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation scale to examine unidimensional versus multidimensional approaches to the conceptualization and measurement of acculturation and their relationships to relevant cultural indicator variables, including measures of Individualism-Collectivism, Independent-Interdependent Self-Construal, Loss of Face, and Impression Management. Multivariate analyses of covariance and partial correlations were used to examine the relationship between the acculturation models and each set of cultural indicator variables while controlling for socioeconomic status. Given that acculturation differences are often cited as evidence for a culture effect between groups, the present findings of an uneven nature of these relationships as a function of the particular acculturation measurement strategy have important implications for research on Asian Americans.     

Narrative of “Here-and-Now”: Cancer Survivors in a Group Psychotherapy Using SCT® (Systems-Centered Therapy)1,2

This study focused on “here-and-now” narrative and examined the process of group psychotherapy for cancer survivors using systems-centered therapy (SCT). In contemporary society, cancer survivors have a vital need for psychological support, and group psychotherapy and peer support are used as part of this need. In most of these interventions, participants are encouraged to speak freely and share their experience of cancer. This generally means speaking about “there-and-then” experience. It has been argued that one reason that narrative therapy produces a psychological effect is that the meaning of an experience changes when the experience is spoken about. SCT differs significantly from other group interventions in that it requires participants to talk about their here-and-now experience through the format of SCT's “functional subgrouping.” Functional subgrouping requires participants to listen, reflect, and build on similarities in their experience. In this study, we qualitatively examined how participants' experiences unfolded in the SCT group by directly addressing the group process. The study findings revealed that even though the participants did not directly share their cancer experiences in the group, they experienced an inexplicable sense of connectedness that had a positive psychological effect on them. They also experienced deep emotions through talking while using the SCT narrative style. In the process, the effects of the SCT narrative were discussed.     

Tool-use by rats (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rattus norvegicus</Emphasis>): tool-choice based on tool features

In the present study, we investigated whether rats (Rattus norvegicus) could be trained to use tools in an experimental setting. In Experiment 1, we investigated whether rats became able to choose appropriate hook-shaped tools to obtain food based on the spatial arrangements of the tool and food, similar to tests conducted in non-human primates and birds. With training, the rats were able to choose the appropriate hooks. In Experiments 2 and 3, we conducted transfer tests with novel tools. The rats had to choose between a functional and non-functional rake-shaped tool in these experiments. In Experiment 2, the tools differed from those of Experiment 1 in terms of shape, color, and texture. In Experiment 3, there was a contradiction between the appearance and the functionality of these tools. The rats could obtain the food with a functional rake with a transparent blade but could not obtain food with a non-functional rake with an opaque soft blade. All rats chose the functional over the non-functional rakes in Experiment 2, but none of the rats chose the functional rake in Experiment 3. Thus, the rats were able to choose the functional rakes only when there was no contradiction between the appearance and functionality of the tools. These results suggest that rats understand the spatial and physical relationships between the tool, food, and self when there was no such contradiction.     

Knowledge and strategies used by adolescents to compare duration of movement by two objects

This study investigated the knowledge and strategies used by senior high school students to compare durations of movement by two objects. The developmental process during adolescence was also examined by comparing the results with those published for Grade 7 to Grade 9 students and university undergraduates. A cathode-ray tube monitor was used to present images of two cars traveling in the same direction for various durations and distances. 30 Grade 12 students were asked to identify which of the cars had traveled for a longer duration and why. Analysis suggested that the strategies develop during adolescence in a sequence. Initially, comparison of durations was based on the relative distance traveled by the two cars. Then the comparison was based exclusively on knowledge that "duration = temporal starting point- temporal stopping point." Finally, the two types of knowledge were used appropriately according to the characteristics of the specific task.     

Deliberate Self‐Harm in Adolescents Aged 12–18: A Cross‐Sectional Survey of 18,104 Students

Little is known about accurate prevalence and associated factors of deliberate self‐harm (DSH) among adolescents in Asian countries. In this study, the prevalence and associated factors of DSH among adolescents in Japan were examined. Data were derived from a cross‐sectional survey using an anonymous self‐report questionnaire and enrolling 8,620 adolescents aged 12–15 and 9,484 aged 15–18. DSH in the previous 12 months was reported by 3.3% (95% CI, 2.9–3.7) of junior and 4.3% (3.9%–4.7%) of senior high school respondents. The prevalence was more than four times as high among girls as among boys for both age groups. DSH was further strongly associated with having suicidal thoughts, having depression/anxiety symptoms, and having used recreational drugs. These associated factors were similar for both sexes and for both older and younger teenagers. A substantial minority of adolescents present with DSH, even among those aged 12–15. The prevalence of DSH in Japan was in the lower ranges of those reported for Western countries. The identified associated factors were not dissimilar from those reported in the West.     

Colonial mentality: a review and recommendation for Filipino American psychology

Colonial mentality is a term used widely by ethnic studies scholars and by the Filipino American community to refer to a form of internalized oppression among Filipinos and Filipino Americans. The authors propose that colonial mentality is a construct that is central to the understanding of the psychology of contemporary Filipino Americans. Drawing on larger scholarship from postcolonial studies and psychological research on oppression, the authors review the historical and sociological contexts in which to understand the significance of the colonial mentality concept for the Filipino American population. The authors also review the existing literature on colonial mentality and provide specific recommendations for incorporating this construct into research and practice with Filipino Americans. It is argued, through this illustrative example of colonial mentality among Filipino Americans, that examining the psychological impact of colonialism is a way to incorporate larger historical and sociological contextual variables into ethnic minority research and practice.