THE DEPENDENCY NEEDS AND PERCEIVED AVAILABILITY AND ADEQUACY OF RELATIONSHIPS IN FEMALE ADOLESCENT SUICIDE ATTEMPTERS

Traditional theories about female adolescent suicide attempters view them as experiencing difficulty in achieving adequate separation-individuation. However, recent work on female adolescence suggests that achieving greater interdependency within relationships rather than increased independence from them is an important goal for nonclinical nonsuicidal female adolescents. We investigated both dependency needs and the perceived availability and adequacy of relationships in 21 female adolescent attempters and 23 nonattempters. Dependency needs did not significantly differentiate suicide attempters from nonattempters. Attempters, however, did report both a smaller social network and fewer intimate relationships than nonattempters, as well as less satisfaction with these relationships. These preliminary results suggest that more research is required to establish whether dependency needs are indeed causally related to the female adolescents' suicide attempts. Future research should also investigate other risk factors such as relational dissatisfaction, familial suicide attempts, and abuse.     

Mediators of Posttraumatic Mental Health in Sexual Assault Survivors

The development of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and the relationship between PTG and distress outcomes in sexual assault is an important area of investigation. Recent research suggests that some forms of cognitive processing might be critical in the development, maintenance, and resolution of posttraumatic mental health among sexual assault survivors. The objective of this study was to examine factors associated with posttraumatic mental health among sexual assault survivors. Seventy-three participants who experienced sexual assault completed measures of trauma symptoms, PTG, changes in outlook, cognitive processing, and support and coping. Results revealed that significant levels of posttraumatic symptomatology and low levels of PTG were reported 3 years following sexual assault. A weak relationship was found between symptoms of distress and growth. Contrary to predictions, only ratings of hope and brooding rumination were mediators of the relationship between posttraumatic symptoms and PTG. Reflective rumination was not related to the development of PTG.     

Complainant’s physical attractiveness and juristic judgments of blame and punishment in physical,domestic, and sexual assault scenarios

ABSTRACT

Extralegal factors, including physical attractiveness, may bias juristic opinions. The present study provided 450 university students with hypothetical scenarios of physical, domestic, and sexual assault in which complainant’s attractiveness and other legal and extralegal characteristics were independently varied. Results indicate complainant’s attractiveness mattered in sexual assault scenarios only for guilt of the defendant, but not for physical or domestic assault. Complainant’s attractiveness was not related to perceptions of blameworthiness of complainant or punishment of defendant. Overall, legal factors of injury level, prior offending, and intoxication mattered more than attractiveness or race of the victim. Implications are discussed.     

The role of pattern recognition in children's exact enumeration of small numbers

Enumeration can be accomplished by subitizing, counting, estimation, and combinations of these processes. We investigated whether the dissociation between subitizing and counting can be observed in 4‐ to 6‐year‐olds and studied whether the maximum number of elements that can be subitized changes with age. To detect a dissociation between subitizing and counting, it is tested whether task manipulations have different effects in the subitizing than in the counting range. Task manipulations concerned duration of presentation of elements (limited, unlimited) and configuration of elements (random, line, dice). In Study 1, forty‐nine 4‐ and 5‐year‐olds were tested with a computerized enumeration task. Study 2 concerned data from 4‐, 5‐, and 6‐year‐olds, collected with Math Garden, a computer‐adaptive application to practice math. Both task manipulations affected performance in the counting, but not the subitizing range, supporting the conclusion that children use two distinct enumeration processes in the two ranges. In all age groups, the maximum number of elements that could be subitized was three. The strong effect of configuration of elements suggests that subitizing might be based on a general ability of pattern recognition.     

Family Influences on Treatment Refusal in School-linked Mental Health Services

This study analyzed family influences on treatment refusal in school-linked mental health services (SLMHS). Specifically, it assessed whether levels of family cohesion, conflict, and organization were related to whether a family refused to initiate recommended treatment. Children (N = 133) referred for emotional and behavioral problems and their families participated. Results indicated that (1) family environment factors explained a significant amount of variance in treatment refusal after controlling for demographic factors, (2) families of children with predominantly internalizing symptoms were at greater risk for refusing treatment than families of children with predominantly externalizing symptoms, and (3) lower level of family cohesion was an individual risk factor for refusing treatment. Incorporating an evaluation of family environment within SLMHS assessments may aid in the identification of areas wherein intervention may be beneficial in preventing treatment refusal.     

The psychology of risk taking: toward the integration of psychometric and neuropsychological paradigms

The prevention of counterproductive or antisocial risk taking is a research priority. Attempts to understand risk-taking behaviors are dominated by the psychometric and neuropsychological paradigms, which have developed in relative isolation. Previous studies indicate that risk taking is associated with the sensation-seeking personality trait, although the relationship with impulsivity may be complex. Poor risk-related decision making is associated with lesions to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Further research is necessary to establish which forms of risk taking are associated with the 5-factor model of personality and may be influenced by ventromedial prefrontal cortex functioning. The relationship between risk-related decision making and personality traits is also discussed in order to provide a basis for future research adopting an integrated model of risk taking behavior.