Associations of Parent–Child Anxious and Depressive Symptoms When a Caregiver Has a History of Depression

We examined the associations between parent and child anxious and depressive symptoms controlling for co-occurring symptoms in both. One hundred and four families participated, including 131 9–15 year old children considered at risk for anxiety and/or depression due to a history of depression in a parent. Parents and children completed questionnaires assessing depressive and anxious symptoms. Linear Mixed Models analyses controlling for the alternate parent and child symptoms indicated that both parent and child depressive symptoms and parent and child anxious symptoms were positively associated. Parental depressive symptoms were not positively associated with child anxious symptoms, and parental anxious symptoms were not positively associated with child depressive symptoms. The findings provide evidence for positive specific links between parent and child development of same-syndrome, but not cross-syndrome, symptoms when a caregiver has a history of depression.     

When subordinates think of their ideals: power, legitimacy and regulatory focus

Power influences the way people set and pursue their goals. Recent Studies have shown that powerful people, when compared with powerless individuals, have greater accessibility of their promotion goals (for instance, their ideals, their aspirations, etc.). In the current research we aim to explore the moderating role of power's legitimacy in such effect. In Study 1, after manipulating power and legitimacy, the accessibility of ideals was measured. Results showed that in the legitimate condition, the powerful, compared to the powerless people, showed greater accessibility of their ideals. However, in the illegitimate condition the opposite was true. In Study 2, the accessibility of a different type of goal: oughts, was explored. Results showed that the illegitimate powerholders, when compared with legitimate ones, had their oughts more accessible. The importance of these results is discussed in line with recent theorizing within social psychology of power.     

Measuring social problem solving using the Spanish version for Hispanics of the Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised

This study investigated the internal consistency, factor structure, and concurrent validity of the Social Problem Solving Inventory-Spanish Version for Hispanics (SPSI-R-Hispanic), a translation of the Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R; D'Zurilla, Nezu & Maydeu-Olivares, 2002), in a North American sample of 325 Spanish speaking Hispanics. The scales of the SPSI-R-Hispanic demonstrated good internal consistency reliability. The hypothesized factor model of the SPSI-R provided a good fit to the data. SPSI-R-Hispanic scores demonstrated concurrent validity in a multiple regression analysis, explaining 32% of incremental variability in psychological well-being scores. Gender differences were replicated, where men had higher positive problem orientation and rational problem solving scores and women had higher negative problem orientation scores.     

An augmented reality system validation for the treatment of cockroach phobia

Augmented reality (AR) is a new technology in which various virtual elements are incorporated into the user's perception of the real world. The most significant aspect of AR is that the virtual elements add relevant and helpful information to the real scene. AR shares some important characteristics with virtual reality as applied in clinical psychology. However, AR offers additional features that might be crucial for treating certain problems. An AR system designed to treat insect phobia has been used for treating phobia of small animals, and positive preliminary data about the global efficacy of the system have been obtained. However, it is necessary to determine the capacity of similar AR systems and their elements that are designed to evoke anxiety in participants; this is achieved by testing the correspondence between the inclusion of feared stimuli and the induction of anxiety. The objective of the present work is to validate whether the stimuli included in the AR-Insect Phobia system are capable of inducing anxiety in six participants diagnosed with cockroach phobia. Results support the adequacy of each element of the system in inducing anxiety in all participants.     

Disordered eating behaviors and body image in a longitudinal pilot study of adolescent girls: What happens 2 years later?

We assessed the prospective association of risk factors for eating and body image disturbances after a 2-year follow-up in a community sample of Spanish adolescent girls. The participants included 128 Spanish girls aged 12–14, who took part in a 28-month prospective study. Aspects assessed were eating attitudes (Eating Attitudes Test), influence of the body shape model (questionnaire on influences of the aesthetic body shape model), extreme weight-control behaviors (Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire), body image (Body Image Questionnaire) and Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI, extreme weight-control behaviors and body image problems emerged as potential predictors of an increase in eating disturbances. An increased influence of the thinness model was significantly associated with reduced body satisfaction and body image problems. Preventive programs are needed to contribute reducing the impact of sociocultural influences with regard to thinness, the use of extreme weight-control behaviors and overweight in adolescents.     

Stepped care for obsessive-compulsive disorder: An open trial

This study evaluated the effectiveness and treatment costs associated with a stepped care protocol of exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In the current open trial, patients (N = 14) began with self-directed EX/RP and minimal therapist guidance over the course of six weeks (Step 1). During this phase of treatment, no therapist-directed exposures were conducted. Those who did not respond optimally to Step 1 went on to Step 2, which consisted of 15 sessions of twice-weekly therapist-directed exposures. Results of this study show promise for stepped care utilizing EX/RP for some patients with OCD, with a response rate of 88% and a 60% reduction on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) score among treatment completers. Significant improvements were found in Y-BOCS from pre to post-treatment for both Step 1 and Step 2 completers. Forty-five percent of participants (n = 5) responded following completion of Step 1, resulting in reduced cost of treatment among these participants. All participants who responded to Step 1 maintained acute gains during the brief follow-up period. Limitations include a small sample size and high attrition rate.     

social network sites: a starting point for career development practitioners

This action research study explores the career influence of social network sites (SNSs) by examining 14 web‐based articles that consider the risks and opportunities of SNSs from a job search perspective. Three themes are discussed: user visibility, self‐presentation, and network connections. Practical strategies are identified to help career development professionals update their counseling approaches and engage clients in conversations concerning privacy issues, negotiating public and private boundaries on the web, self‐presentation, and applying networking best practices to SNSs.