An Exploratory Study of Neglect and Emotional Abuse in Adolescents: Classifications of Caregiver Risk Factors

Recent research has advanced exploration of developmental stage and age-related distinctions in understanding the perpetration of child maltreatment. Using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being I (NSCAW-I), this exploratory study investigated heterogeneity in caregiver risks in cases of both neglect and emotional abuse of adolescents (N = 511). Using MPlus software, a person-centered data analytic strategy–latent class analysis was performed to identify distinct classes of caregiver risk factors that were associated with the reports of maltreatment among adolescents. Subsequently exploring the distinct characteristics of the classes, we examined the related demographic characteristics, child welfare system variables (e.g., type of placement status; change in placement type between waves), and youth factors such as the presence of clinical range problem behaviors (Child Behavior Checklist). Results demonstrate four distinct classes of caregiver risk factors, with a nearly even split between those who have an absence of risk factors and those who have a whole host of risk determinants. Differences between the classes regarding the duration of time in out-of-home placements between Wave 1 and Wave 3 also emerged significant.     

When a Non-resident Worker is a Non-resident Parent: Investigating the Family Impact of Fly-In,Fly-Out Work Practices in Australia

Non-resident work practices, which involve prolonged separations from family, long-distance commuting between home and remote work sites and long work hours across compressed rosters, are now commonplace in Australia. This study examined the impact of these work arrangements, often termed Fly-In/Fly-Out (FIFO), on children and families, and to identify family-related and employment-related factors that influence child and family outcomes. Anonymous online surveys containing measures of family and couple relationship quality, child behavioral and emotional adjustment, parenting and personal adjustment were completed by 232 partners of FIFO workers, 46 FIFO workers, and a comparison group of community parents (N = 294 mothers, N = 36 fathers). There were no differences between FIFO partners and community parents on family or couple relationship quality, parenting competence and child behavioral or emotional difficulties. FIFO partners reported higher levels of personal emotional problems and greater usage of harsh discipline practices than community mothers, while FIFO workers reported greater work to family conflict and alcohol use than community fathers. Regression analyses on the FIFO partners sample indicated that child and family functioning were best predicted by family factors, including harsh parenting and parental emotional adjustment. Implications of the findings for the design and provision of family-based support for FIFO families are discussed.     

Continuous loudness response to acoustic intensity dynamics in melodies: Effects of melodic contour,tempo, and tonality

The aim of this work was to investigate perceived loudness change in response to melodies that increase (up-ramp) or decrease (down-ramp) in acoustic intensity, and the interaction with other musical factors such as melodic contour, tempo, and tonality (tonal/atonal). A within-subjects design manipulated direction of linear intensity change (up-ramp, down-ramp), melodic contour (ascending, descending), tempo, and tonality, using single ramp trials and paired ramp trials, where single up-ramps and down-ramps were assembled to create continuous up-ramp/down-ramp or down-ramp/up-ramp pairs. Twenty-nine (Exp 1) and thirty-six (Exp 2) participants rated loudness continuously in response to trials with monophonic 13-note piano melodies lasting either 6.4 s or 12 s. Linear correlation coefficients > .89 between loudness and time show that time-series loudness responses to dynamic up-ramp and down-ramp melodies are essentially linear across all melodies. Therefore, ‘indirect’ loudness change derived from the difference in loudness at the beginning and end points of the continuous response was calculated. Down-ramps were perceived to change significantly more in loudness than up-ramps in both tonalities and at a relatively slow tempo. Loudness change was also greater for down-ramps presented with a congruent descending melodic contour, relative to an incongruent pairing (down-ramp and ascending melodic contour). No differential effect of intensity ramp/melodic contour congruency was observed for up-ramps. In paired ramp trials assessing the possible impact of ramp context, loudness change in response to up-ramps was significantly greater when preceded by down-ramps, than when not preceded by another ramp. Ramp context did not affect down-ramp perception. The contribution to the fields of music perception and psychoacoustics are discussed in the context of real-time perception of music, principles of music composition, and performance of musical dynamics.     

Consistently modeling the same movement strategy is more important than model skill level in observational learning contexts

The experiment undertaken was designed to elucidate the impact of model skill level on observational learning processes. The task was bimanual circle tracing with a 90° relative phase lead of one hand over the other hand. Observer groups watched videos of either an instruction model, a discovery model, or a skilled model. The instruction and skilled model always performed the task with the same movement strategy, the right-arm traced clockwise and the left-arm counterclockwise around circle templates with the right-arm leading. The discovery model used several movement strategies (tracing-direction/hand-lead) during practice. Observation of the instruction and skilled model provided a significant benefit compared to the discovery model when performing the 90° relative phase pattern in a post-observation test. The observers of the discovery model had significant room for improvement and benefited from post-observation practice of the 90° pattern. The benefit of a model is found in the consistency with which that model uses the same movement strategy, and not within the skill level of the model. It is the consistency in strategy modeled that allows observers to develop an abstract perceptual representation of the task that can be implemented into a coordinated action. Theoretically, the results show that movement strategy information (relative motion direction, hand lead) and relative phase information can be detected through visual perception processes and be successfully mapped to outgoing motor commands within an observational learning context.     

Train the child and teach the adult: Developing intervention strategies for increasing seafood consumption

Despite increasing levels of per capita seafood consumption globally, consumption levels across the population vary with many consumers eating less than recommended weekly intakes. This study investigates the influence of childhood patterns of seafood consumption, consumer confidence in selecting and preparing seafood, adult eating habits, and lifestyle on seafood consumption. Partial least squares structural equation modelling analysis was conducted using a sample of 1,318 Australian adults. The results show that consuming seafood regularly in childhood and developing the confidence to select and prepare seafood as an adult contribute to the development of seafood eating habits. Subsequently, a habit of consuming seafood leads to a lifestyle involving regular consumption of seafood. The results indicate the need to develop and implement intervention strategies for encouraging childhood seafood consumption (“train the child”) and increasing adults' confidence in selecting and preparing seafood (“teach the adult”). Intervention strategies proposed include educational programmes targeted at both children and adults, combined with the development of seafood products that appeal to children and suit the changing lifestyle needs of today's 21st century consumers.     

John H. Whittaker (ed.), The Possibilities of Sense: Essays in Honour of D. Z. Phillips.

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion -     

Still another confounded face in the crowd

Experiments using schematic faces developed by Öhman (Öhman, Lundqvist, &; Esteves, 2001) seem to document an anger-superiority effect, although we have come to question these experiments. Our work shows that the low-level features of these schematic faces interact with the face’s surround to produce effects that have been attributed to facial affect. Using relatively neutral faces that preserved the feature and surround spatial relationships of angry and happy schematic faces, we produced reaction times (RTs) that were indistinguishable from those found with angry and happy faces. We also found that the target face’s position within the crowd determined the magnitude of the advantage for angry faces as well as for relatively affect-neutral faces. Removing the facial surround reduces the advantage for angry faces, largely by improving performance on happy faces. There was an apparent small advantage for angry features without a surround. öhman faces avoid the problems associated with modified grayscale faces only to introduce an equally troubling confound.     

Exploring Adoption with Clients: The Need for Adoption Education Within the Genetic Counseling Profession

Genetic counselors and other health professionals may encounter adoption during any counseling session. They must be skilled in using appropriate language and understand how to approach and discuss this topic with clients. A thorough knowledge of adoption as an option for clients facing a prenatal or postnatal diagnosis is necessary when presenting individuals with non-biased information needed for informed decision-making. However, three preliminary studies have demonstrated an absence of graduate education and lack of a professional knowledge base regarding this option (Mates 2008; Oksala 2007; Perry 2003). We discuss the impact of medical professionals’ preconceptions on client decision-making, increasing early identification of fetal anomalies, deficiency of adoption knowledge and resources, and the resulting need for genetic counselors and other health professionals to develop their skills in discussing adoption with clients.     

Episodic future thinking in 3- to 5-year-old children: The ability to think of what will be needed from a different point of view

Assessing children’s episodic future thinking by having them select items for future use may be assessing their functional reasoning about the future rather than their future episodic thinking. In an attempt to circumvent this problem, we capitalised on the fact that episodic cognition necessarily has a spatial format (Clayton and Russell, 2009, Hassabis and Maguire, 2007). Accordingly, we asked children of 3, 4, and 5 to chose items they would need to play a game (blow football) from the opposite side of the table on which they had never before played. The crucial item was the box that was needed by children to reach the table from the other side. Over four experiments, we demonstrated that, while children of 3 perform poorly on future questions and children of 5 generally perform quite well, children of 4 years find a question about what they themselves will need to play in the future harder to answer than a similar question posed about another child. We suggest that this result is due to the ‘growth error’ of over-applying newly-developed Level 2 perspective-taking skills (Flavell et al., 1981), which encourages the selection of non-functional items. The data are discussed in terms of perspective-taking abilities in children and of the neural correlates of episodic cognition, navigation, and theory of mind.     

Blocking incidental frustration during bargaining

The current study examined the effects of an intervention aimed at blocking the transfer of frustration from a previous experience (i.e. recall task) to a subsequent and unrelated task (i.e. ultimatum bargaining task). Participants who went through the intervention were more likely to accept unfair offers in the ultimatum bargaining task than those who did not go through the intervention. These results show that participants who were blocked from transferring their feelings of frustration from the recall task to the subsequent bargaining task (no-transfer condition) more likely accepted unfair offers than those who inadvertently transferred their feelings of frustration (transfer condition). The effect of conditions on accept-reject decisions in the ultimatum bargaining was mediated by reported feelings of frustration.