Factors related to young people's attitudes to the consumption of alcohol and other psychoactive substances

In this study we analyzed variables related to the consumption of alcohol and other psychoactive substances among young people, and to their attitudes towards experimentation. The sample was made up of 775 pupils aged 12 to 16 from four secondary schools in the Principality of Asturias (northern Spain). The results obtained confirm the multi-causal nature of these phenomena. The attitudes of young people towards substance use was found to be more favourable the lower the perception of risk, the more mistaken their beliefs and the more permissive their disposition to the use of alcohol and other illegal drug. Other determining factors are their relationship with peer groups that use drugs, antisocial behaviours and attention-seeking indications.     

Fragment difficulty in priming on word-completion tests

Word-fragment completion is a frequently used test in implicit memory research. In this test priming is the relevant variable. Priming is obtained by subtracting the proportion of nonstudied word fragments correctly completed (called "completion difficulty baseline") from the studied word fragments correctly completed. Since completion difficulty can spuriously vary greatly between experimental conditions, its effect on magnitude of priming is studied. Normative frequency of occurrence of target words was considered because their influence over performance is known. In an experiment using a word-fragment completion test, participants' completion of fragments at three levels of completion difficulty and two levels of frequency was tested. Analysis showed that completion difficulty had a significant effect on global priming. The priming magnitude was higher for Difficult and Moderately Difficult fragments than for Easy ones. An interaction between fragment difficulty and normative word frequency was observed. When the fragments were easy to complete, the expected effect of higher priming for low-frequency words than for high-frequency words was not observed.     

Self-administered behavioural family intervention for parents of toddlers: effectiveness and dissemination

This study examined the effectiveness of a self-administered behavioural family intervention (BFI) for parents of toddlers, within the context of a regular telephone counselling service provider. Telephone counsellors were trained in the delivery of BFI, and 110 mothers of toddlers completed the intervention. There were significant short-term effects of intervention in terms of child behaviour problems and parenting style, parenting confidence and anger. In addition, there were improvements in mother's personal adjustment, and lower levels of parenting conflict. The intervention effects were maintained at 3-month follow-up. The results provide support for the effectiveness of self-administered BFI, and have implications for the population level delivery of behavioural family interventions.     

New measure o f perceived motorcompetence for children ages 4 to 6 years

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a test for the assessment of perceived motor competence in young children ages 4 to 6 years old. The structure of the Children's Perception of Motor Competence Scale was analyzed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis with 495 children between 4 and 6 years of age. A second-order model was selected and consisted of one scale of Perceived General Motor Competence and two subscales, Perceived Gross Motor Competence and Perceived Fine Motor Competence. The number of items was 22. This test showed acceptable internal reliability: global scale (alpha = .81), Perceived Gross Motor Competence (alpha = .80), and Perceived Fine Motor Competence (alpha = .65). Children manifested accuracy in the assessment of the competence. Perceived motor competence was related to actual motor competence as measured by the Movement ABC Test and by an observational scale used by Physical Education teachers. There were no sex differences. The Children's Perception of Motor Competence Scale could be considered an interesting assessment test for identifying current self-perceptions of motor competence in young children.     

Resistance to extinction of human evaluative conditioning using a between-subjects design

Two experiments were conducted to examine whether the resistance to extinction obtained in evaluative conditioning (EC) studies implies that EC is a qualitatively distinct form of classical conditioning (Baeyens, Eelen, & Crombez, 1995 a) or whether it is the result of an nonassociative artefact ( Field & Davey, 1997 , 1998 , 1999 ). Both experiments included between-subjects control groups in addition to standard within-subjects control conditions. In Experiment 1, only verbal ratings were measured in order to evaluate the effect of postacquisition CS-only exposures on EC whereas in Experiment 2, verbal ratings and postextinction priming effects were measured. The results showed that the EC effects are demonstrable in a between-subjects design and that the extinction procedure did not have any influence on the acquired evaluative value of CSs regardless of whether the verbal ratings or the priming effects were used as dependent variables. The present results provide evidence that EC is resistant to extinction and suggest an interpretation of EC as a qualitatively distinct form of associative learning.     

FATHER–CHILD PLAY DURING THE PRESCHOOL YEARS AND CHILD INTERNALIZING BEHAVIORS: BETWEEN ROBUSTNESS AND VULNERABILITY

Play observations with a total of 400 toddlers and preschoolers were videotaped and rated for Intensity and Quality of play with their parents. Parents were asked about perceived stress and personality characteristics (Big 5). Child's motor, cognitive skills, temperament, and internalizing behaviors were assessed. Study 1 investigated the robustness of play across child age and gender, and examined differences between fathers and mothers. Study 2 explored the vulnerability of play with fathers of children born preterm (PT‐fathers) and fathers who had experienced adverse childhoods (AC‐fathers). Study 3 investigated child internalizing behaviors. Intensity of play was maintained almost independently of child age and gender. It was similar for AC‐ and PT‐fathers, and similar to maternal Intensity. In contrast, paternal Quality of play was higher with boys and independent of fathers’ personality and perceived parenting stress whereas maternal Quality of play was higher with girls and linked to mothers’ perceived parenting competence, acceptability of the child, and neuroticism. AC‐fathers scored significantly low on Quality, as did PT‐fathers, but the Quality of their play became better with growing child age, birth weight, and cognitive (but not motor and temperament) scores. Finally, child internalizing behaviors were negatively related to paternal Quality of play.     

Family communication styles, attitude towards institutional authority and adolescents' violent behaviour at school

The purpose of present study is to analyse the relationship among certain family and school factors, adolescents' attitude towards institutional authority, and violent behaviour at school. The sample is composed of 1049 adolescents of both sexes and aged from 11 to 16 years old. Statistical analyses were carried out using structural equation modelling. Results indicate a close association between negative communication with father and violent behaviour in adolescence. Moreover, data suggest that teachers' expectations affect students' attitude towards institutional authority, which in turn is closely related to school violence. Finally, findings show an indirect influence of father, mother and teacher in adolescents' violent behaviour, mainly through their effect on family- and school-self-concept.     

Baby Triple P: A Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Efficacy in First-Time Parent Couples

Journal of Child and Family Studies - In a randomized controlled trial, we tested the efficacy of Baby Triple P in a community sample of first-time parent couples. The intervention was developed to...     

Risk Factors for Institutional Misconduct Among Incarcerated Women: An Examination of the Criterion-Related Validity of the Personality Assessment Inventory

This study tested the hypothesis that the Last-Weiss (Last &; Weiss, 1976) Rorschach Ego-Strength Scale would predict outcome among a representative sample of first-lifetime psychiatric admissions. One hundred seventeen patients were assessed with structured symptom, psychiatric history, and social data interviews at hospital admission, and 2-year follow-up. Outcome measures included a multidimensional variable involving rehospitalization time, social and work functioning, and recent symptom level and symptom measures. Unexpectedly, the Last-Weiss Sum E variable correlated significantly with negative multidimensional outcome, a result that was strengthened when any possibly confounding effects of social class, IQ, and number of Rorschach responses were partialled out. It was found that Sum E's predictive value for poorer outcome was due to the space response (S +) component of the ego-strength variable. Possible explanations of the findings and implications for the previously validated Klopfer's Rorschach Prognostic Rating Scale are discussed.     

Recovery and Replication of Internalizing and Externalizing Dimensions Within the Personality Assessment Inventory

Leopold Bellak, The TAT and CAT in Clinical Use, 2nd edition. New York: Grune &; Stratton, 1971, 218 pages, $12.75. Reviewed by Sarah a. Alleman

Rudolph Ekstein. The Challenge: Despair and Hope in the Conquest of Inner Space. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1971, 354 pages, $7.95. Reviewed by Irving R. Stone