Children's Participation in Genetic Prevalence Research: Influences on Enrollment and Reports of Parent Satisfaction1

The present studies were designed to evaluate methodological influences on the efficiency of genetic-screening studies, specifically when enrolling preschoolers in a prevalence study of the fragile X full mutation. The studies include replication of earlier findings with school-age children, which showed that (a) a higher enrollment rate occurred when the study was introduced to a parent by a physician (73.7%) versus by a research assistant (58.7%), and (b) parents initially undecided about participating were more likely to eventually enroll if they had completed enrollment forms at the time of recruitment, In-person recruitment led to higher enrollment rates (60%) than did recruitment by mail (36.8%). Feedback from parents indicated the importance of emphasizing the optional nature of participation in screening studies.     

Psychometric evaluation of the Menstrual Joy Questionnaire

Analysis of 10 terms in the Menstrual Joy Questionnaire of Delaney, Lupton, and Toth indicated that the 34 undergraduate students did not agree on the definitions of scale items. The authors discuss the use of this questionnaire as a stimulus in experimental research and as a measure of positive perimenstrual experience.     

Criteria used in the selection of students for school psychologist training programs

A questionnaire regarding criteria used in the selection of students for school psychologist There were 63 responses. Undergraduate scholastic index was the most frequently used criterion, followed by undergraduate psychology index, letters of recommendation, and GRE scores. The interview, used by half of those reporting, was not employed consistently. The MAT was used by less than half of the respondents, and ranked lower in importance. Most universities used four or five criteria for admission. No respondents required teaching experience.     

The resident researcher: An alternative career model centered on community

Considers the potential benefits and costs of an alternative career model for community researchers, one in which professionals specialize in the community where they live. By virtue of their local familiarity, resident researchers can make more informed judgments about research problems and methods. They can employ longitudinal designs to assess change and be available to assist in interpretation and implementation of research. Potential costs include the possibility of provincialism, unintended researcher effects, ethical dilemmas, the need to cultivate community relations, and role conflicts. Interdisciplinary training programs and research field stations can contribute to the development of the resident researcher role. Researchers in the community can help generate grass roots support for social science research. We acknowledge Louise Shedd Barker's helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this article.     

Stressful life events and use of physician services among the elderly: the moderating role of pet ownership

The physician utilization behavior of 938 Medicare enrollees in a health maintenance organization was prospectively followed for 1 year. With demographic characteristics and health status at baseline controlled for, respondents who owned pets reported fewer doctor contacts over the 1-year period than respondents who did not own pets. Furthermore, pets seemed to help their owners in times of stress. The accumulation of prebaseline stressful life events was associated with increased doctor contacts during the study year for respondents without pets. This relationship did not emerge for pet owners. Owners of dogs, in particular, were buffered from the impact of stressful life events on physician utilization. Additional analyses showed that dog owners in comparison to owners of other pets spent more time with their pets and felt that their pets were more important to them. Thus, dogs more than other pets provided their owners with companionship and an object of attachment.     

Psychological Correlates of the Transmission and Acceptance of Rumors About AIDS1

The present investigation was intended to identify the emotional and cognitive factors associated with the transmission and acceptance of widely disseminated misconceptions about AIDS. A rumor questionnaire listing 10 prevalent misconceptions about AIDS was completed by 229 college students. Consistent with predictions derived from current rumor theory (Rosnow, 1980, 1988), anxiety elicited by AIDS rumors was found to be the factor most strongly related to rumor transmission. The subjects who reported having changed their behavior as a result of the AIDS crisis also were likely to transmit AIDS rumors. Regression analysis revealed that, together, personal anxiety elicited by specific rumors and behavior change represented the strongest predictors of AIDS rumor transmission (R²= .24, p < .0001). Anxiety-provoking rumors perceived as important and personally consequential were most likely to be believed (R²= .56, p < .0001). A minority of subjects (12%) reported behavior changes that actually reduce the risk of AIDS. Implications of this research for AIDS public education campaigns are discussed.     

Characteristics of the indirect McCollough effect

Induction of contingent color aftereffects with a single chromatic grid sometimes results in an illusory color on a grid different from the one presented during induction. Such illusory color, contingently elicited by a noninduced grid, has been termed the indirect McCollough effect (indirect ME). We show that the indirect ME occurs only when the color complementary to the grid color is present during induction (either physically present or as a color afterimage), and that the indirect ME is seen only on gratings that are orthogonal to the induction orientation. These findings are in accord with the account of the indirect ME proposed by Humphrey, Dodwell, and Emerson (1989). We also show that characteristics of the indirect ME (seen following one-grid induction), both on induced and orthogonal orientations, are similar to those observed with the direct ME (seen following the usual two-grid induction procedure). Both procedures result in contingent aftereffects that display substantial retention and that do not display interocular transfer.     

An investigation of neuronal integrity in severe paediatric traumatic brain injury.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) and its association with neuropsychological functioning was examined in the chronic injury phase of paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Fifteen children, aged 10-16 years, with severe TBIs were compared with 15 controls, matched for age and gender. The TBI group was found to have significantly lower levels of -acetyl aspartate (NAA) and Choline (Cho) in the right frontal lobe and generally displayed reduced performances on neuropsychological tests. A correlation between metabolites and reaction times was also obtained. Findings indicate a role of proton MRS as a measure of neuronal integrity following severe paediatric TBI and suggest a potential association of MRS with specific neuropsychological impairments.