Pilot of the Brief Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression in Latinos With Limited English Proficiency: Preliminary Evaluation of Efficacy and Acceptability

Latinos with limited English proficiency (LEP) experience multiple barriers to accessing efficacious mental health treatments. Using a stage model of behavior therapy research, this Stage I investigation evaluated the Brief Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD), an intervention that may be well equipped to address existing treatment barriers.     

Processing of distractors inside and outside the attentional focus in a priming procedure

A priming procedure was used to study the processing of distractors located either inside (between the location of two targets) or outside (peripherally to the locations of the targets) the focus of attention. The stimuli were five-letter arrays, and participants had to decide whether two marked target letters were the same or different. In Experiments 1 and 2, positive priming was obtained both when targets and in-distractors in primes repeated as targets in probes; negative priming was found when out-distractor primes repeated as targets in probes. In Experiment 3, we also manipulated the match in letter case from primes to probes. In-distractors produced reliable positive priming, irrespective of whether the letters matched in case. In contrast out-distractors produced negative priming but only when the letters had the same case in primes and probes. These results are attributed to a spatial attention process operating (in this case) on low-level visual features, and an object-based selection process that enables more abstract information to be processed for selected stimuli.     

Leisure-time physical activity and psychological well-being in university students

An analysis of psychological well-being (self-esteem and subjective vitality) of 639 Spanish university students was performed, while accounting for the amount of leisure-time physical activity. The Spanish versions of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Subjective Vitality Scale were employed. Participants were divided into four groups (Low, Moderate, High, and Very high) depending on estimation of energy expenditure in leisure-time physical activity. Men and women having higher physical activity rated higher mean subjective vitality; however, differences in self-esteem were observed only in men, specifically between Very high and the other physical activity groups.     

Effectiveness of two smoking prevention programs according to type of applicator

Although research on the prevention of drug use has shown that the effectiveness of programs depends partly on who applies them, the results of studies designed to clarify this issue are contradictory. This study compared the effects on smoking, in the short and medium term, of the implementation of two school-based prevention programs, depending on the type of applicator. The sample was made up of 200 seventh-grade students distributed among five experimental conditions: four of intervention, in which the programs were implemented by teachers from the school or by external psychologists, and one of control. The results show that teachers applying the Barbacana program and psychologists applying the Construyendo Salud (Building Health) program succeeded in reducing the incidence of cigarette smoking (BR-teachers 15%; C.S-psychologists 5%) and strengthening attitudes against smoking. An interaction effect between type of program and type of applicators was clearly observed.     

The lay distinction between primary and secondary emotions: A spontaneous categorization?

In line with the psychological essentialism perspective, Leyens et al. ( 13 2000) have hypothesized that people attribute different essences to groups and that they attribute more uniquely human characteristics to their own group than to out‐groups. Leyens et al. have focused on two types of emotions, which in Roman languages have specific labels, such as sentimientos and emociones in Spanish. A cross‐cultural study showed that sentimientos (or secondary emotions) are considered uniquely human emotions whereas emociones (or primary emotions) are perceived as nonuniquely human emotions. The present study focuses on whether this categorization into primary and secondary emotions is a spontaneous distinction that people use in their everyday lives, or whether, on the contrary, it is the result of experimental demands. The paradigm “Who says what to whom” was used to test this question. Geometrical shapes of different colours were systematically associated with different stimuli that varied in meaningfulness. In a first condition, shapes were associated with small or large items of furniture (meaningful categories) and with primary and secondary emotions. In a second condition, the items of furniture were replaced by words ending with a vowel or a consonant (meaningless categories). Subsequently, participants had to recognize which shape was associated with each stimulus. Intra‐category errors were significantly more numerous than inter‐category errors, except for the words ending with a vowel or a consonant. Stated otherwise, types of emotions were recognized like the meaningful difference between items of furniture. These results show that the distinction between primary and secondary emotions is an implicit one that people use spontaneously, and not as a result of task demands. The findings are discussed from the perspective of psychological essentialism and inter‐group relations.     

Predictors of Distress in Chicana College Students

This study examined the influence of sociocultural variables on distress in bicultural Chicana college students. Results indicated that a higher level of social support is related to lower distress. Findings highlight the importance of family and peer support for Chicana students. Implications for counselors are provided. Este estudio examinó la influencia de variables sociocultural en la anguista de estudiantes colegiales Chicanas bicultural. Los resultados indicaron que el nivel más alto de apoyo social se relaciona para bajar la anguista. Los hallazgos destacan la importancia de apoyo de familia y amistades para estudiantes Chicanas. Las implicaciones para consejeros se proporcionan.     

Evaluation purposes,processes, products,and probity: Some lessons from experience

This paper shares some of the author’s conclusions following more than three decades of experience with evaluation in a range of areas, including agricultural research, health and social development projects, and programs managed by both national and international agencies. It expounds on the purposes, processes and products of evaluation as well as the probity of the evaluators. Evaluations are often expected to achieve multiple objectives in a short time period and with limited resources. The conclusions and recommendations of evaluations often influence a program’s future course, as well as the reputation of program managers and staff. When there is no effective monitoring or internal evaluation system in place, an external evaluation team must rely heavily on the probity and creativity of its members, particularly, the team leader. This paper offers tips on practical aspects of monitoring and evaluation, and provides insights into research and development processes in developing countries. She has served on the boards, review teams, and advisory committees of several centers affiliated with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. She has done research and has written extensively on social issues involving small-farmer development. She is a senior program adviser for the UPWARD network (User’s Perspective with Agricultural Research and Development).     

Processing of threat-related information outside the focus of visual attention

This study investigates whether threat-related words are especially likely to be perceived in unattended locations of the visual field. Threat-related, positive, and neutral words were presented at fixation as probes in a lexical decision task. The probe word was preceded by 2 simultaneous prime words (1 foveal, i.e., at fixation; 1 parafoveal, i.e., 2.2 deg. of visual angle from fixation), which were presented for 150 ms, one of which was either identical or unrelated to the probe. Results showed significant facilitation in lexical response times only for the probe threat words when primed parafoveally by an identical word presented in the right visual field. We conclude that threat-related words have privileged access to processing outside the focus of attention. This reveals a cognitive bias in the preferential, parallel processing of information that is important for adaptation.