Autistic traits and neuropsychological performance in 6- to-10-year-old children: a population-based study

Clinical studies of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) provide evidence for poorer neuropsychological performance within specific domains compared to age, gender, and sometimes IQ-matched controls. Since recent evidence suggests that autistic symptoms form a spectrum that extends into the general population, it was our goal to evaluate the nature of the relationship between autistic traits and neuropsychological performance across the continuum in the general population. We examined neuropsychological performance across five different domains in 1019 6-to-10-year-old children participating in a population-based study of child development. Autistic traits were assessed when the children were 6 years of age using the Social Responsiveness Scale and ASD diagnoses were obtained via medical records. Neuropsychological functioning was measured using the NEPSY-II-NL and included the domains of attention and executive function, memory and learning, sensorimotor functioning, language, and visuospatial functioning. We found that children with higher autistic traits showed significantly lower neuropsychological performance in all domains investigated and that this association remained even after excluding children with the highest autistic traits or confirmed ASD. When comparing 41 children with confirmed ASD diagnosis to typically developing controls, children with ASD showed significantly lower neuropsychological performance across all domains. Taken together, our results suggest that children with both ASD and subclinical autistic traits have lower neuropsychological performance. Thus, this may provide an understanding of why some children without an ASD diagnosis may require some additional assistance within academic settings.     

Protected or Unprotected Sex: The Conceptions and Attitudes of the Youth in Bolgatanga Municipality,Ghana

The youth in Bolgatanga municipality in Ghana have relatively less knowledge of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) compared to the youth in other parts of Ghana. More fundamental knowledge is needed of the factors that influence young people to have protected and unprotected sex in specific social and cultural contexts, in order to protect them from adverse consequences, such as sexually transmitted diseases (STIs), HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancies. This study therefore analyzed the conceptions and attitudes of the youth toward protected and unprotected sex, and particularly condom use, in Bolgatanga municipality. Semi-structured and focus group interviews were held with 71 young males and females and 17 adults. The results indicated that many of them lack a comprehensive knowledge of STIs, contraceptives and pregnancy, while a group of them had a negative attitude towards contraceptives. Not all parents, schools and organisations provide young people with a comprehensive education about SRH, and some even discourage such education because they believe it would encourage young people to have sex before marriage. In addition, young people also inform each other about SRH issues, sharing stories and personal experiences with their peers. The information they exchange is not always correct, however; sometimes it merely reflects their own personal preferences. The unequal power in the sexual relationships of young people—related to the traditional value system that gives men, but not women, “sexual freedom, both in and outside marriage”—is another determining factor for unprotected sex.     

The Epistemic Status of Evolutionary Theory

The theory of evolution continues to be a bone of contention among certain groups of theistic believers. This paper aims to bring some light to the debate about it, by introducing a framework for epistemic appraisal which can provide a realistic and sober assessment of the epistemic credentials of the various parts of evolutionary theory. The upshot is a more nuanced epistemic appraisal of the theory of evolution, which shows that there are significant differences in epistemic standing between its various parts. Any serious conversation about the theory of evolution ought to reflect these facts.     

Do First- and Second-Generation Migrants Stay Longer in Social Assistance Than Natives in Belgium?

In many European countries, migrants are overrepresented in social assistance. In Belgium, at least 70% of social assistance beneficiaries are first- or second-generation migrants, as natives are often eligible for a social insurance benefit. Lower exit rates among migrants relative to natives could raise concern about the labour market inclusion of beneficiaries, as well as the financial sustainability and solidarity basis of the welfare state. This paper analyses whether migrants remain longer in social assistance than natives and whether migrants vary in their timing of exit by migration-history characteristics. We use longitudinal data from the social assistance administration linked to other administrative sources, including detailed information about migration histories of migrants. Using event history analysis, we track the exits from social assistance for 22,620 beneficiaries in the period June 2005–December 2009. We find that migrants have substantially longer median durations than natives. Controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, benefit and work histories, we find that most migrant groups have (slightly) lower exit rates than natives. Asylum seekers stay substantially longer in social assistance whereas migrants with longer durations of residence have shorter benefit periods than recent migrants. Second-generation migrants do not stay longer in social assistance than natives.     

Mapping the interplay among cognitive biases,emotion regulation,and depressive symptoms

Cognitive biases and emotion regulation (ER) difficulties have been instrumental in understanding hallmark features of depression. However, little is known about the interplay among these important risk factors to depression. This cross-sectional study investigated how multiple cognitive biases modulate the habitual use of ER processes and how ER habits subsequently regulate depressive symptoms. All participants first executed a computerised version of the scrambled sentences test (interpretation bias measure) while their eye movements were registered (attention bias measure) and then completed questionnaires assessing positive reappraisal, brooding, and depressive symptoms. Path and bootstrapping analyses supported both direct effects of cognitive biases on depressive symptoms and indirect effects via the use of brooding and via the use of reappraisal that was in turn related to the use of brooding. These findings help to formulate a better understanding of how cognitive biases and ER habits interact to maintain depressive symptoms.     

Value Priorities and Organ Donation in Young Adults

This research identifies major personal values among American university students that predict organ-donation registration with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Participants responded to a factual test of their knowledge about organ donation, indicated whether or not they had registered as posthumous donors, and filled out a personality inventory measuring their personal values (Schwartz, 1992, 1994). The data indicated a high level of factual knowledge about organ donation; and the greater the level of knowledge, the more likely participants were registered to donate their organs. Also, participants higher in benevolence, universalism, achievement, and stimulation were more likely to have registered to donate their organs. The results are discussed in terms of the need to develop more effective health-communication campaigns by using specific health-education messages tailored to students majoring in different disciplines or to people in various occupations as a means of increasing their willingness to donate.     

Performance Management: A Model and Research Agenda

Le management est confronté au défi lancé aux organisations quand elles doivent définir, mesurer et stimuler la performance des salariés avec pour objectif ultime d'améliorer la performance organisationnelle. La gestion des performances implique différents niveaux d'analyse et est manifestement reliée à l'évaluation des performances et aux thèmes relevant du management stratégique des ressources humaines (MRH). Cet article présente un modèle convenant à la gestion des performances qui combine des perspectives issues du MRH stratégique et des psychologies organisationelle et du travail. Le modèle intègre des éléments de différents niveaux et enrichit les modèles antérieurs en prenant explicitement en compte la perception des salariés, le rôle des supérieurs directs et une causalité qui peut être inversée. On présente enfin les défis que les futures recherches devront affronter.
Performance management deals with the challenge organisations face in defining, measuring, and stimulating employee performance with the ultimate goal of improving organisational performance. Thus, performance management involves multiple levels of analysis and is clearly linked to the topics studied in strategic human resource management (HRM) as well as performance appraisal. This paper presents a model for performance management combining insights from strategic HRM and work and organisational psychology. The model incorporates multi-level elements, and adds to previous models by explicitly incorporating employee perceptions, the role of direct supervisors, and possible reversed causality. Challenges for future research are also presented.     

Pretrauma Neuroticism, Negative Appraisals of Intrusions, and Severity of PTSD Symptoms

Earlier studies found that self-reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are correlated with negative appraisals of symptoms and with neuroticism. It is unclear whether the latter two are associated. Possibly, an overarching trait such as neuroticism mediates the relationship between PTSD symptoms and negative appraisals of symptoms. Data from a previous study (see I. M. Engelhard, M. A. van den Hout, M. Kindt, A. Arntz, & E. Schouten, 2003) were used in the present effort to address these issues. Neuroticism scores were obtained from 1,372 pregnant women. One hundred and twenty-six women experienced a pregnancy loss, and 117 of them were assessed for PTSD symptoms and negative appraisals of symptoms. The 3 variables of interest were all significantly correlated. The data indicate that negative appraisals of symptoms explain and predict PTSD symptoms independently of neuroticism.     

The Unchangeable Judicial Formats

An analysis of a broad sample of Dutch judicial and semi-judicial decisions shows similar structures as the ones Bhatia and Mazzi found before. The question is posed what explains this seemingly unchangeable judicial format. From a perspective of argumentative and communicative efficacy and comprehensibility, the format is certainly not the optimal choice. The explanation is that the format is a sign of an ideology. The format suggests an objectivity of the decision taken. This is actually a myth. This makes a decision to change the format an ideological one.     

On the foundations of beliefs in free will: intentional binding and unconscious priming in self-agency

The concept of an ability to make choices and to determine one's own outcomes fits well with experiences that most people have, and these experiences form the basis for beliefs in free will. However, the existence of conscious free will is challenged by modern research findings highlighting the unconscious origins of goal-directed behavior that gives rise to free-will beliefs. This report expands on these insights by revealing that both conscious and unconscious processes play an important role in free-will beliefs. Specifically, Experiment 1 demonstrates that free-will beliefs are strengthened when conscious intentions to produce action outcomes bind the perception of action and outcome together in time. Experiment 2 shows that these beliefs are strengthened when unconscious priming of action outcomes creates illusory experiences of self-agency when the primed outcomes occur. Together, these findings suggest that beliefs in free will are associated with self-agency and are enhanced by both conscious and unconscious information processing of goal-directed behavior.