Social problem‐solving skills as a mediator between executive function and long‐term social outcome following paediatric traumatic brain injury

There is debate regarding the relationship between executive function and social outcome following paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI), due to inconsistent findings in the literature. It has been suggested that these contradictory results may reflect the absence of an established mechanism to explain this relationship. Yeates and colleagues (2004) proposed a possible model in which the maturity of social problem‐solving skills mediates the relationship between executive function and social outcome. The current study aimed to explore this model and determine whether social problem solving mediates the relationship between executive function and social outcome in a TBI population. The sample consisted of 36 adolescents and young adults who sustained a TBI between 8 and 12 years of age. They ranged between 16 and 22 years of age and were 7–10 years post‐injury. Findings indicated that a higher level of executive dysfunction was associated with less sophisticated social problem‐solving skills and poorer social outcome. Further, the maturity of social problem‐solving skills was found to mediate the relationship between executive function and social outcome in this group.     

Erratum: Effects of pre‐trial publicity and jury deliberation on juror bias and source memory errors

Effects of Pre‐Trial Publicity and Jury Deliberation on Juror Bias and Source Memory Errors. By Christine Ruva, Cathy McEvoy and Judith Becker Bryant. The above article (DOI:10.1002/acp.1254) was published online in Early View on 21 June 2006. An error has subsequently been identified in this article. The mediation analyses for the critical SM errors mistakenly reported that the Sobel test z was not significant when in fact it was, Sobel test z = 2.17 (1982). Therefore, critical SM errors were found to mediate the effect of PTP on guilt ratings suggesting that these errors may be a mechanism through which PTP imparts its biasing effects on juror decision making.     

Age-related differences in responses to thoughts of one's own death: mortality salience and judgments of moral transgressions

Two experiments explored age differences in response to reminders of death. Terror management research has shown that death reminders lead to increased adherence to and defense of one's cultural worldview. In Study 1, the effect of mortality salience (MS) on evaluations of moral transgressions made by younger and older adults was compared. Whereas younger adults showed the typical pattern of harsher judgments in response to MS, older adults did not. Study 2 compared younger and older adults' responses to both the typical MS induction and a more subtle death reminder. Whereas younger adults responded to both MS inductions with harsher evaluations, older adults made significantly less harsh evaluations after the subtle MS induction. Explanations for this developmental shift in responses to reminders of death are discussed.     

Recovery in memory function, and its relationship to academic success, at 24 months following pediatric TBI.

While a number of research papers have reported findings on memory deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI), only limited studies have monitored the recovery of these skills over time. The present study examined memory ability and its effect on academic success in a group of children who had sustained a mild, moderate, or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Results showed that the severe TBI group exhibited greater deficits on memory tasks, irrespective of modality, in the acute, 6-, 12-, and 24-month postinjury stages, in comparison to mild and moderate TBI groups. Performance on academic measures was dependent on both injury severity and task demands. Preinjury academic ability and verbal memory indices best predicted academic success.     

Recurrent binge eating with and without the "undue influence of weight or shape on self-evaluation": implications for the diagnosis of binge eating disorder

Levels of eating disorder psychopathology, impairment in psycho-social functioning and use of health services were compared among probable cases of binge eating disorder (BED) with and without extreme weight or shape concerns ("undue influence of weight or shape on self-evaluation") recruited from a large community sample of women. Data for obese non-binge eaters (n=457), also recruited from the community sample, and for a clinical sample of eating disorder patients (n=128), recruited separately, were included for comparative purposes. BED cases who reported extreme weight or shape concerns (n=51, 46.4%) had significantly higher levels of eating disorder psychopathology and functional impairment than those who did not report such concerns (n=59), after controlling for between-group differences in age and body weight. In addition, BED cases who reported extreme weight or shape concerns were more likely to have sought treatment for an eating or weight problem than those who did not. Whereas levels of eating disorder psychopathology and functional impairment were markedly elevated among BED cases with extreme weight or shape concerns, BED cases who did not report extreme weight or shape concerns resembled obese non-binge eaters in most respects. The findings support the inclusion of an undue influence of weight or shape on self-evaluation as a diagnostic criterion for BED. In the absence of this influence, eating disorders that otherwise resemble BED do not appear to be "clinically significant".     

The perseverance effect in the debriefing paradigm: Replication and extension

A classic study conducted by Ross, Lepper, and Hubbard (1975) revealed a perseverance effect wherein people who received positive performance feedback on an alleged social perceptiveness test reported more favorable self-perceptions in this domain than those who received negative feedback despite the fact that they had received standard outcome debriefing (i.e., been informed about the false, predetermined, and random nature of the feedback) prior to reporting self-assessments. The present studies extend this past research by revealing that (a) there is a form of outcome debriefing (i.e., informing participants about the bogus nature of the test as well as the bogus nature of the feedback) that effectively eliminates the perseverance effect, (b) the perseverance effect that occurs after standard outcome debriefing is limited to perceptions of specific task-relevant skills rather than more global abilities, and (c) affective reactions do not underlie the perseverance effect that occurs in the false feedback paradigm.     

Optic variables used to judge future ball arrival position in expert and novice soccer players

Although many studies have looked at the perceptual—cognitive strategies used to make anticipatory judgments in sport, few have examined the informational invariants that our visual system may be attuned to. Using immersive interactive virtual reality to simulate the aerodynamics of the trajectory of a ball with and without sidespin, the present study examined the ability of expert and novice soccer players to make judgments about the ball’s future arrival position. An analysis of their judgment responses showed how participants were strongly influenced by the ball’s trajectory. The changes in trajectory caused by sidespin led to erroneous predictions about the ball’s future arrival position. An analysis of potential informational variables that could explain these results points to the use of a first-order compound variable combining optical expansion and optical displacement.     

Minority stress and health: Implications for lesbian,gay, bisexual,transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people

Historically, the pathologization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) orientations shaped research and professional practice, while the impact of stigma was not considered. Within a minority stress conceptualization however, stigma-related prejudice and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ people constitute chronically stressful events that can lead to negative health outcomes. Minority stress has been linked to psychological distress among gay men and lesbians and may contribute to elevated rates of distress frequently observed among LGBTQ youth. This study explored the impact of minority stress on psychological distress among LGBTQ youth in Ireland. Measures assessing three components of minority stress (sexual identity distress, stigma consciousness, and heterosexist experiences) were administered online to LGBTQ youth aged 16–24 years (N = 301). Each minority stressor had a significant independent association with distress. Stepwise regression analyses identified the linear combination of minority stressors as significantly predictive of distress [F(3,201) = 30.80, p ≤ 0.001]. Results suggest that the oppressive social environment created through sexual/transgender identity-related stigma negatively impacts on the well-being of LGBTQ youth. These findings have implications for health professionals and policy makers interested in the concerns of LGBTQ youth experiencing difficulties related to minority status and will facilitate the development and tailoring of interventions aimed at reaching those most at risk.