Age-related changes in children's understanding of effort and ability: implications for attribution theory and motivation

Building on Nicholls's earlier work, we examined developmental changes in children's understanding of effort and ability when faced with a negative outcome. In a sample of 166 children and adolescents (ages 5-15 years), younger children conflated the meaning of effort and ability, explaining that smart students work hard, whereas older children understood effort and ability to be reciprocally related constructs, explaining that smart students do not need to work as hard. Understanding the reciprocal relation between effort and ability was correlated with age. Age-related changes in the meaning and correlates of effort and ability were also examined. Developmental implications for attribution theory and achievement motivation are discussed.     

The Role of Personality in Psychotherapy for Anxiety and Depression

ABSTRACT A trait approach to personality has many implications for psychotherapy. Given that traits contribute to the expression of symptoms of common psychiatric disorders, are moderately heritable, and relatively stable (yet also dynamic to some extent), long‐term change in symptoms is possible but is likely to be limited. Analogous to the manner in which genes set the reaction range for phenotype, standing on certain traits may set the patient's “therapeutic range.” On the other hand, some of the same traits that may limit the depth of therapeutic benefits might also increase their breadth. In addition, taking the patient's standing on different traits into account can inform the choice of therapeutic strategy and targets and can affect the formation of the therapeutic alliance and compliance with self‐help exercises. Finally, other aspects of personality beyond traits, such as ego development and narrative identity, also appear to have important implications for psychotherapy.     

Gender, Video Game Playing Habits and Visual Memory Tasks

The current research examined whether visuospatial recall of both abstract and common objects was related to gender or object familiarity. Seventy two undergraduates from a university in the Southern U.S. were asked to draw the Rey Complex Figure and a series of common objects from memory. A pilot sample of seventy three undergraduates had previously identified common objects as “male” “female” and “neutral” exemplars. Males were significantly better at drawing “male” and “neutral” exemplars whereas females were better at drawing “female” exemplars. Neither gender was significantly better at the Rey task. These results question whether males have an inherent advantage in visual memory. Results also found that experience with playing violent video games was associated with higher visual memory recall.     

What’s in a Name? Two Approaches to Evaluating the Label Feminist

Across two studies, we employed unique approaches to investigating the meaning of the label feminist using a sample of undergraduates from a large Northeastern university in the U.S. In Study 1 (N = 60), we utilized an impression formation paradigm to investigate the meaning of the label feminist when applied to typical college student. The results revealed that feminist males were rated less favorably than nonfeminist males and feminist females were rated more favorably than nonfeminist females. In Study 2 (N = 112), we examined the context-free associations that people have with the label feminist using two implicit attitude measures. Females reported positive implicit associations with the label feminist while males expressed neutral to slightly negative implicit associations with feminists.     

Behavioral contributions to teaching of psychology: an annotated bibliography

An annotated bibliography that summarizes behavioral contributions to the journal Teaching of Psychology from 1974 to 2006 is provided. A total of 116 articles of potential utility to college-level instructors of behavior analysis and related areas were identified, annotated, and organized into nine categories for ease of accessibility.     

Intimate partner violence and children's reaction to peer provocation: the moderating role of emotion coaching

The current study examined the relation between intimate partner violence (IPV) and children's reactions to a stressful peer interaction in a community-based sample. The moderating role of parental emotion coaching in buffering children from negative reactions to a peer was also examined. Children participated in a peer provocation paradigm and mothers completed the Parent Meta-Emotion Interview. Both adaptive (i.e., laughing, ignoring) and maladaptive (i.e., hostile/challenging, odd behaviors) reactions to the provocative peer were examined. IPV was positively related to children's laughing and odd behaviors but was unrelated to ignoring and hostile/challenging behaviors. Additionally, emotion coaching was found to moderate relations between IPV and children's laughing and odd behaviors. The importance of understanding protective factors in families experiencing IPV and of developing emotion coaching parenting programs is discussed.     

Coping with Exposure to Violence: Relations to Emotional Symptoms and Aggression in Three Urban Samples

Relations among exposure to violence, coping, and adjustment were examined in three urban samples. In study 1, which took place in a southeastern city, children ages 6–16 (N = 35; M age = 10.7 years) completed measures of adjustment, exposure to violence, and coping with violence. In study 2, which took place in one southern Midwestern city and one Northeastern city, children ages 8–15 (N = 70; M age = 11.3 years) completed similar measures with the addition of a measure assessing normative beliefs about aggression. Results are in line with the pathologic adaptation model and provide preliminary evidence for two hypothesized pathways explaining the effects of exposure to violence on adjustment: a normalization pathway in which exposure leads to more aggression-supporting beliefs and in turn to greater aggression, and a distress pathway in which exposure leads to avoidant coping and in turn to emotional symptoms.     

Age and Body Satisfaction Predict Diet Adherence in Adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The aim of the current study was to determine whether age and body satisfaction predict dietary adherence in adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and whether older females are less adherent than younger males and females. Forty-four participants aged 10–21 with IBD were recruited. Participants provided informed consent and demographics. Body satisfaction was measured by a questionnaire and a task in which participants selected their current and ideal body image out of silhouettes depicting bodies ranging from underweight to obese. Adherence was measured by marking a 100 mm visual analog scale, the 1-week completion of a dietary log, and a questionnaire evaluating coping strategies used for overcoming obstacles to dietary adherence. Age was related to dietary adherence, with younger children being more likely to adhere. Participants more satisfied with their body reported better dietary adherence. Findings remained consistent across multiple measures of body satisfaction and adherence. Healthcare providers and parents should be informed of these findings in order to improve adherence.     

Non‐generalized and generalized conditioned reinforcers: establishment and validation

Conditioned reinforcers, or tokens, are frequently used in clinical settings; however, little applied research has focused on establishing and validating their effectiveness. Following pairing of a novel token with an edible reinforcer in the present study, preference and reinforcer assessments verified that the tokens functioned as conditioned reinforcers. Results indicated that the tokens were established as conditioned reinforcers that matched the reinforcer value of the primary reinforcers with which they had been paired. The effects of motivating operations (MOs) on the effectiveness of these conditioned reinforcers were then evaluated. Conditioned reinforcer effectiveness decreased during satiation conditions. Subsequently it was found that increasing the number of backup reinforcers with which the token was paired resulted in the effectiveness maintaining during satiation conditions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Efficacy of a Photovoice‐based video as an online mental illness anti‐stigma intervention and the role of empathy in audience response: A randomized controlled trial

This study examined the efficacy of a Photovoice‐based video as a novel online anti‐stigma video in reducing mental illness stigma, as well as the role of empathic concern in stigma reduction. Photovoice is a grassroots process by which members of a marginalized group, such as people with a mental illness, document and convey their experience; in this study’s context, the experience of living with a mental illness and the stigma associated with this experience. Canadian undergraduate university students (n = 303; average age = 21) were randomly assigned to view either a Photovoice‐based anti‐stigma intervention video (n = 156) or a control video (n = 147). Compared to the control condition, the Photovoice‐based video was efficacious in reducing mental illness stigma, including reduced fear and anger toward people with a mental illness, decreased perceptions of dangerousness, and decreased desired social distance. In addition, the intervention was efficacious in maintaining reduced desired social distance relative to the control at 1‐month post‐intervention. Finally, empathic concern was found to mediate the relationship between the Photovoice‐based video and reduced mental illness stigma, suggesting that one way the intervention reduced mental illness stigma was by eliciting empathy in the viewer.