‘You be the big sister’: Maternal‐preschooler internal state discourse,perspective‐taking,and sibling caretaking

Maternal–preschooler internal state discourse, preschooler perspective‐taking, and sibling caretaking for 32 dyads (preschooler M age=46.4 months, toddlers=14 months) was examined across three contexts varying in emotional demands: (a) naturalistic home observations, (b) mother–preschooler book reading (Parent–Child Affect Communication Task; Zahn‐Waxler, Ridgeway, Denham, Usher and Cole, 1993), and (c) a laboratory maternal separation session. Preschooler perspective‐taking was positively associated with emotional understanding during book reading. However, mothers did not adjust their internal state discourse in any of the three contexts to reflect preschoolers' perspective‐taking skills. Both preschooler internal state language during sibling conflict and maternal leave‐taking discourse were associated with sibling caretaking. Findings are discussed in light of the role of family discourse and dynamics in the development of children's social understanding. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Common Representations of Abstract Quantities

ABSTRACT— Representations of abstract quantities such as time and number are essential for survival. A number of studies have revealed that both humans and nonhuman animals are able to nonverbally estimate time and number; striking similarities in the behavioral data suggest a common magnitude-representation system shared across species. It is unclear, however, whether these representations provide animals with a true concept of time and number, as posited by Gallistel and Gelman (2000) . In this article, we review the prominent cognitive and neurobiological models of timing and counting and explore the current evidence suggesting that nonhuman animals represent these quantities in a modality-independent (i.e., abstract) and ordered manner. Avenues for future research in the area of temporal and mathematical cognition are also discussed.     

A Tailored Approach to Family-Centered Genetic Counseling for Cystic Fibrosis Newborn Screening: The Wisconsin Model

This article describes the development of a tailored family-centered approach to genetic counseling following abnormal newborn screening (NBS) for cystic fibrosis (CF). A genetic counseling consortium reviewed research literature, selected theoretical frameworks, and incorporated counseling psychology micro skills. This innovative intervention integrated theories and empirically validated techniques. Pilot testing and parent feedback confirmed satisfaction with and feasibility of the approach designed to (a) minimize parents’ distress, (b) facilitate parents’ understanding, (c) increase parents’ capacities to use genetic information, and (d) enhance parents’ experiences with genetic counseling. Counselors engage in a highly interactive process of evaluating parents’ needs and tailoring assessments and interventions that include a therapeutic environment, the family’s emotional needs, parents’ informational needs, and a follow-up plan. This promising new model is the first to establish a theory-driven, evidence-based standard for genetic counseling in the context of NBS for CF. Additional research will evaluate the model’s efficacy in clinical practice.     

The Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy: A Comparison Between Paper-and-Pencil Versus Online Formats in Italian Samples

The most recent conceptualizations of empathy recognize affective empathy as distinct from cognitive empathy. Consequently, instruments that assess these 2 types of empathy have been developed. Among them, the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) is a particularly promising, relatively new, self-report measure consisting of 31 items. To examine the cross-cultural adaptability of the QCAE, we investigated the psychometric properties of an Italian version in 2 samples and with 2 different formats of administration. Study 1 (n = 407) used archival data collected via paper and pencil; Study 2 (n = 285) used newly collected data, obtained with an online format. In these studies, in addition to the QCAE, 6 other instruments measuring empathy-related constructs (i.e., interpersonal competence, well-being, personality traits, emotion regulation, alexithymia, and emotion recognition) were administered, too. Data analysis focused on factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity. The findings of both studies provide support for the cross-cultural applicability of the QCAE, and reveal interesting associations between empathy and the other constructs under examination.     

Achieving success at work: development and validation of the Motivational Climate at Work Questionnaire (MCWQ)

Although work represents an important achievement setting, research on the perceived motivational climate, as defined by the achievement goal theory (AGT), remains limited. Calls have been made for research on the salience of such situational influences based on traditional AGT. Therefore, the aim of this research was to develop a scale to measure the motivational climate at work. In a pilot study, participants completed a developed questionnaire and the findings supported psychometric properties of the questionnaire. Two further studies were conducted and the findings provided evidence of content validity, criterion‐related validity, construct validity, and internal consistency. The findings suggest the questionnaire might be used to determine the perception of the extant motivational climate in the workplace.     

“So wat do u want to wrk on 2day?”: The Ethical Implications of Online Counseling

Internet counseling is an area of rapid expansion in the field of applied psychology. Internet counseling or psychotherapy involves a variety of activities such as psychoeducation, individual therapy, and automated self-help interventions delivered via the Internet. Although other professional societies such as the National Association of Social Workers, the American Counseling Association, and the National Board of Certified Counselors have tackled the issues of Internet counseling ethics head on, the American Psychological Association has been conspicuously absent from this debate. Yet online therapy clinics are operating, and intervention efficacy is being studied. This discussion provides an overview of online counseling modalities, details the ethical concerns associated with each, and offers suggestions for the ethical practice of online counseling.     

Linguistic recovery after closed head injury

Recovery from acute aphasia after closed head injury was studied in 21 young adults at least 6 months after injury. Three profiles of scores were found using standardized language tests. Persistent expressive and receptive impairment was present in 6 patients who sustained severe diffuse brain injury resulting in global cognitive deficit. Residual expressive impairment, primarily of naming, was associated with mild diffuse brain injury though focal left-hemisphere injury was present in 3 of 6 cases. Patients who recovered to normal levels on all language tests generally had acute neurologic findings consistent with mild diffuse brain injury. Cranial computed tomography at the time of followup frequently disclosed ventricular enlargement.     

Target location and visual feedback as variables determining accuracy of aiming movements

The accuracy of a long aiming movement was studied as a function of whether it was performed toward or away from the midline of the subject's body in the presence or absence of visual feedback. 30 right-handed, male university students (19-26 yr.) served as subjects. With movement distance and duration controlled, the mean percentage of error was 6.34% less for movements made toward the body's midline than for those performed away from the midline. The mean percentage of error was also 48% less in the presence of visual feedback than in its absence. However, contrary to our expectation, movements executed toward the body's midline were not appreciably less disrupted in the absence of visual feedback than movements performed away from the midline.