Exploring families’ experiences of health: contributions to a model of family health

Child health and developmental outcomes are influenced by the health of the family and the context created. Research suggests symptoms of poor family health (e.g. suboptimal family interactions, parenting stress) yet there is limited understanding of the factors which contribute to robust family health which may unveil opportunities for targeted intervention and family health promotion. The present study examined families’ experiences of family health and factors contributing to family health. We performed a qualitative study using constructivist grounded theory methods to guide our understanding of family health for families with typically developing children aged 5–18. Interviews were conducted in family homes and all members were invited to participate. Data from interviews were transcribed, coded, thematically analyzed, and verified with select families. Ten families, including 10 mothers, 8 fathers, and 15 children participated in the study. Participants described family health as a process of balance, living purposefully, and sharing experiences together in alignment with family identity. Mediating family health were processes of awareness and reflection, and adapting, adjusting, and changing in response to family life including external stress factors. Results highlight the possibility for healthcare practitioners to facilitate families’ self-reflection and awareness about their health in order to mediate family health development.     

Embracing the challenge of bold theories of autism

This article is a commentary on ‘Fetal testosterone and autistic traits’ ( Auyeung et al., 2009 ).     

Using aspiration levels in an interior primal-dual multiobjective linear programming algorithm

We introduce in this paper a new multiple-objective linear programming (MOLP) algorithm. The algorithm is based on the single-objective path-following primal—dual linear programming algorithm and combines it with aspiration levels and the use of achievement scalarizing functions. The resulting algorithm falls in the class of interactive MOLP algorithms, as it requires interaction with the decision maker (DM) during the iterative process to obtain statements of aspirations for levels of objectives of the MOLP problem. The interior point algorithm is then used to trace a path of interates from a current (interior) solution and approach as closely as desired a non-dominated solution corresponding to the optimum of the achievement scalarizing function. The timing of the interaction with the DM is dependent on the progress of the interior algorithm. It can take place every few, pre-specified, iterations or after the duality gap achieved for the stated aspirations has fallen below a certain threshold. It is expected that an interior algorithm will speed up the overall process of searching and finding the most preferred MOLP solution—especially in large-scale problems—by avoiding the need for numerous pivot operations and their corresponding interactive sessions inherent in simplex-based algorithms.     

Correlates of loneliness as perceived by the terminally Ill

The pain of loneliness is a universal social phenomenon, which is intensified by a diagnosis of a terminal illness. The present study investigated the causes of loneliness as perceived by HIV/AIDS patients, those diagnosed with cancer, and the general population. Forty-three HIV/AIDS patients, 38 cancer patients, and 53 participants from the general population answered a 29 item questionnaire. Results indicated that with the exception of social marginality, those afflicted with HIV/AIDS perceived the causes of their loneliness to be significantly different from those of the other two samples. Secondly, cancer patients and subjects from the general population did not differ significantly in the perceived causes of their loneliness. The author thanks Dr. Joe Regan, Fabio Belpulsi, Joann Bennett, Yvone Peterson, and Gina Ramberan for their invaluable assistance.     

Correlates of loneliness as perceived by the terminally Ill

The pain of loneliness is a universal social phenomenon, which is intensified by a diagnosis of a terminal illness. The present study investigated the causes of loneliness as perceived by HIV/AIDS patients, those diagnosed with cancer, and the general population. Forty-three HIV/AIDS patients, 38 cancer patients, and 53 participants from the general population answered a 29 item questionnaire. Results indicated that with the exception of social marginality, those afflicted with HIV/AIDS perceived the causes of their loneliness to be significantly different from those of the other two samples. Secondly, cancer patients and subjects from the general population did not differ significantly in the perceived causes of their loneliness. The author thanks Dr. Joe Regan, Fabio Belpulsi, Joann Bennett, Yvone Peterson, and Gina Ramberan for their invaluable assistance.     

Diagnosing Autism using ICD-10 criteria: A comparison of neural networks and standard multivariate procedures

In a sample of 976 consecutive cases derived from the recent world-wide Field Trial of Autism and other Pervasive Developmental Disorders, we tested the accuracy of the 15 ICD-10 criteria for the diagnosis of Autism, by comparing neural network models (NN) to more conventional multivariate competitors, namely, linear and quadratic discriminant function analyses and logistic regression. NNs were less accurate than competitors, both in terms of cross-validation results as well as in levels of shrinkage from training to test conditions. The clinical research implications of these results are discussed.     

Workload capacity spaces: A unified methodology for response time measures of efficiency as workload is varied

Increasing the number of available sources of information may impair or facilitate performance, depending on the capacity of the processing system. Tests performed on response time distributions are proving to be useful tools in determining the workload capacity (as well as other properties) of cognitive systems. In this article, we develop a framework and relevant mathematical formulae that represent different capacity assays (Miller’s race model bound, Grice’s bound, and Townsend’s capacity coefficient) in the same space. The new space allows a direct comparison between the distinct bounds and the capacity coefficient values and helps explicate the relationships among the different measures. An analogous common space is proposed for the AND paradigm, relating the capacity index to the Colonius–Vorberg bounds. We illustrate the effectiveness of the unified spaces by presenting data from two simulated models (standard parallel, coactive) and a prototypical visual detection experiment. A conversion table for the unified spaces is provided.     

Dimensions of loneliness among Canadian and Czech youth: A cross-national study

The present study examined the influence of cultural background on the causes of adolescents' loneliness. Eighty Canadian youth and 168 adolescents from the Czech Republic formed the participants pool. They answered a thirty-item yes/ no questionnaire. The questionnaire is composed of five subscales, namely: Personal Inadequacies, Developmental Deficits, Unfulfilling Intimate Relationships, Relocation/Significant Separations, and Social Marginality. Results revealed a mixed pattern of differences between the two cultures. Canadian youth had lower mean scores on Personal Inadequacies and Developmental Deficits, but scored higher on Social Marginality. Gender differences within and between the cultures were also examined. Both genders in the Czech Republic had higher mean scores than their Canadian counterparts.     

Studying visual search using systems factorial methodology with target—distractor similarity as the factor

Systems factorial technology (SFT) is a theory-driven set of methodologies oriented toward identification of basic mechanisms, such as parallel versus serial processing, of perception and cognition. Studies employing SFT in visual search with small display sizes have repeatedly shown decisive evidence for parallel processing. The first strong evidence for serial processing was recently found in short-term memory search, using target-distractor (T-D) similarity as a key experimental variable (Townsend & Fifi?, 2004). One of the major goals of the present study was to employ T-D similarity in visual search to learn whether this mode of manipulating processing speed would affect the parallel versus serial issue in that domain. The result was a surprising and regular departure from ordinary parallel or serial processing. The most plausible account at present relies on the notion of positively interacting parallel channels.     

Modeling cognitive load effects of conversation between a passenger and driver

Cognitive load from secondary tasks is a source of distraction causing injuries and fatalities on the roadway. The Detection Response Task (DRT) is an international standard for assessing cognitive load on drivers’ attention that can be performed as a secondary task with little to no measurable effect on the primary driving task. We investigated whether decrements in DRT performance were related to the rate of information processing, levels of response caution, or the non-decision processing of drivers. We had pairs of participants take part in the DRT while performing a simulated driving task, manipulated cognitive load via the conversation between driver and passenger, and observed associated slowing in DRT response time. Fits of the single-bound diffusion model indicated that slowing was mediated by an increase in response caution. We propose the novel hypothesis that, rather than the DRT’s sensitivity to cognitive load being a direct result of a loss of information processing capacity to other tasks, it is an indirect result of a general tendency to be more cautious when making responses in more demanding situations.