Birth control and low-income Mexican-American women: the impact of three values

This study examines how 3 particular sociocultural values affect Mexican-American women's attitude, knowledge, and use of birth control. Researchers interviewed 99 low-income married Mexican-American women, 48 of whom had a low level of acculturation and 51 of whom had a high level, focusing on the values of motherhood, male dominance, and sexual expression. While the low acculturation group showed a significant linear relationship between attitudes towards birth control and the 3 values, the high acculturation group failed to exhibit a similar relationship. The study also found that no significant relationship exists between knowledge of birth control and the aforementioned values. The sociocultural values, however, do explain a 30% variability in attitudes towards birth control among the women with low acculturation, as well as a 22% variability in birth control use. Although significant, the results do not fully account for the variability. The study suggests several possible explanations for the unaccounted variance: considering the complexity of the values involved, the instruments involved may have failed to fully uncover their effects; because they were normed on Anglo-Americans, the instruments may not have sensitive enough of Mexican-American attitudes; and finally, the study may have overlooked other important values. Nonetheless, the study points out definite differences in attitudes between high and low acculturation groups. Considering that Hispanic women -- particularly Mexican-American women -- experience a very high birthrate (double that of non-Hispanics), examining sociocultural values may give insights into better family planning methods for this group.     

Gender Differences in the Relationship of Language Development to Disruptive Behavior and Peer Relationships in Preschoolers

The present study examined whether there are gender differences among preschoolers in how language development is related to disruptive behavior and peer relationships. Participants were 185 largely minority, preschool children from low income families and their 16 teachers. Videotaped observations were coded to assess disruptive and off-task behavior in group learning situations. Teachers rated disruptive behavior and the quality of peer relationships and they provided information about service referrals. Language skills were assessed with standardized tests. Lower levels of language skills were more strongly associated with disruptive behavior and poor peer relationships for boys than for girls. Disruptive behavior was related to the probability that a child would be referred for services. Language development difficulties tended to be seen by teachers only when paired with behavior problems.     

Hippocampal expression of the orphan nuclear receptor gene hzf-3/nurr1 during spatial discrimination learning

The immediate-early gene hzf-3, also known as nurr1, is a member of the inducible orphan nuclear receptor family and is one candidate in the search for genes associated with learning and memory processes. Here we report that acquisition of a spatial food search task is accompanied by elevated levels of hzf-3 mRNA in the hippocampus. Adult male Long-Evans rats were handled, food-restricted, and allowed to habituate to the maze prior to training. During acquisition, rats were given one training session per day for 5 days. Each training session consisted of five trials in which animals searched the maze for food located in 4 of 16 holes in the floor of the maze. Training resulted in spatial acquisition of the task. Northern blot analysis showed significant increases in hippocampal hzf-3 mRNA 3 h after training in the maze. Next, brains were obtained from Naive, Habituated, Day 1, Day 3, and Day 5 animals and processed for in situ hybridization. The results showed significant increases of hzf-3 mRNA in CA1 and CA3 subregions of the dorsal hippocampus during acquisition of the task. We conclude that expression of the hzf-3 gene in the brain is associated with long-term spatial memory processes. The present results are the first to implicate an orphan nuclear receptor in long-term information storage in the hippocampus.     

Violent behavior in schizophrenic patients: relationship with clinical symptoms

Considerable evidence suggests that violent behavior observed in schizophrenic patients is motivated by psychotic symptomatology. The understanding of violence in schizophrenic patients requires consideration of psychiatric symptomatology. Objective: This study investigated the relationship between violent behavior and psychiatric symptomatology in schizophrenic patients. Method: One hundred and thirteen patients were recruited. Thirteen patients were excluded due to concomitant substance abuse six months prior to the assessment. Diagnoses were based on the SCID‐I. Psychotic symptom severity was assessed with the PANSS. Violent behaviors were assessed with the OAS. Results: Violent behaviors were associated with more severe psychotic symptomatology including hallucinations, delusions, excitement, poor impulse control, and thinking disturbances. Conclusions: Patients with exacerbation of psychotic symptomatology have an increased risk of violent behavior. It is necessary to determine which subtypes of hallucinations and delusions are implicated in the association of schizophrenia and violent behavior. Violent behavior in schizophrenic patients is a heterogeneous phenomenon best explained in the context of specific symptoms associated with violence and course of illness. The retrospective assessment of the variables raises methodological questions concerning the reliability of measurement of the impact of psychotic symptoms on violence. Aggr. Behav. 00:1–10, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Speech perception development in children with dyslexia

Several studies have indicated that dyslexics show a deficit in speech perception (SP). The main purpose of this research is to determine the development of SP in dyslexics and normal readers paired by grades from 2nd to 6th grade of primary school and to know whether the phonetic contrasts that are relevant for SP change during development, taking into account the individual differences. The achievement of both groups was compared in the phonetic tasks: voicing contrast, place of articulation contrast and manner of articulation contrast. The results showed that the dyslexic performed poorer than the normal readers in SP. In place of articulation contrast, the developmental pattern is similar in both groups but not in voicing and manner of articulation. Manner of articulation has more influence on SP, and its development is higher than the other contrast tasks in both groups.     

The structure of Bryant's Empathy Index for children: a cross-validation study

The present study examined the structure of Bryant's Empathy Index (BEI) using different samples for conducting exploratory and confirmatory analyses. The BEI was administered to a sample of 2714 children (mean age 11.12, SD = 1.59). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed a three-factor structure: Feelings of Sadness, Understanding Feelings and Tearful Reaction. The results revealed both the multidimensionality of the instrument and appropriate fit indices for the model proposed. Although these results were very similar to those reported in other studies with a Spanish population, the analyses were conducted in a more robust way: with a larger sample and using polychoric correlations and cross validation estimation.     

An additional antecedent of empathic concern: valuing the welfare of the person in need

Two experiments examined the role of valuing the welfare of a person in need as an antecedent of empathic concern. Specifically, these experiments explored the relation of such valuing to a well-known antecedent--perspective taking. In Experiment 1, both perspective taking and valuing were manipulated, and each independently increased empathic concern, which, in turn, increased helping behavior. In Experiment 2, only valuing was manipulated. Manipulated valuing increased measured perspective taking and, in part as a result, increased empathic concern, which, in turn, increased helping. Valuing appears to be an important, largely overlooked, situational antecedent of feeling empathy for a person in need.     

Are indigenous personality dimensions culture-specific? Mexican inventories and the Five-Factor Model

The universality versus cultural specificity of Mexican personality dimensions was investigated by examining: (a) the replicability of Mexican personality dimensions assessed by indigenous inventories; and (b) the extent to which Mexican dimensions are encompassed by the Five-Factor Model (FFM), one hypothesized universal model of personality structure. Mexican university students (N = 794) completed nine indigenous inventories and the Spanish version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. The FFM replicated well, although reliability was poor for a few facet scales. Reliability was acceptable for the indigenous Mexican scales. However, for most indigenous instruments, a cross-sample replication criterion suggested alternative structures of fewer, more replicable dimensions. Multiple regression and joint factor analyses revealed that most of the Mexican dimensions were well subsumed by the FFM. Thus, cultural differences did not involve clearly culture-specific dimensions, but more subtle differences in the salience or cultural flavor of particular traits.     

Culture,method, and the content of self-concepts: Testing trait,individual–self-primacy,and cultural psychology perspectives

Three theoretical perspectives on cultural universals and differences in the content of self-concepts were tested in individualistic (United States, n = 178; Australia, n = 112) and collectivistic (Mexico, n = 157; Philippines, n = 138) cultures, using three methods of self-concept assessment. Support was found for both trait perspectives and the individual–self-primacy hypothesis. In contrast, support for cultural psychology hypotheses was limited because traits and other personal attributes were not more salient, or social attributes less salient, in individualistic cultures than collectivistic cultures. The salience of some aspects of self-concept depended on the method of assessment, calling into question conclusions based on monomethod studies.     

Differential effects of instructions and consequences on human conditional discrimination performance

Two studies evaluated the differential behavioral effects of instructions and feedback in matching-to-sample procedures. In Experiment 1, 20 college students received true or false instructions and trial-by-trial or delayed feedback in three phases. In a fourth, final phase the instructions remained the same, but feedback changed from trial-by-trial to delayed, or from delayed to trial-by-trial. In Experiment 2, half of another 20 participants received true instructions during three phases, followed by false instruction in a fourth phase; the other half of the participants received false instructions during three phases, followed by true instructions in the fourth phase. Feedback sequences were as in Experiment 1. The results of both experiments revealed historical effects of instructions and feedback. Most participants demonstrated strong instructional control, overriding the control by contingencies. These results suggest that the present procedure offers optimal possibilities to make the differential effects of instructions and feedback on human behavior clearly identifiable when conditional discrimination tasks are used.