Longitudinal analysis of midlife generativity, intergenerational roles, and caregiving

Items from the California Adult Q-Sort (CAQ) were used to assess psychosocial generativity (E. H. Erikson, 1950) in a sample of educated women at midlife. CAQ scores measured at age 43 demonstrated convergent validity with an inventory measure of generativity assessed at age 53. According to other longitudinal analyses, women who attained a generative stance at age 43 reported greater investment 10 years later in intergenerational roles (e.g., daughter, mother) but not nonintergenerational ones (e.g., friend, sister). Generative women also reported less subjective burden in caring for aging parents and more knowledge about community elder care programs. Further evidence suggests that participants felt embedded in a reciprocal caregiving network in which they themselves were the recipients of care.     

Statistical and information properties of head direction cells

The human channel capacity for identifying sensory stimuli is compared with channel capacities based on neurophysiological findings. Studies have shown that cells in the postsubiculum (PoS) and the anterior dorsal thalamus (ADN) of the rat discharge as a function of the animal's head direction in the horizontal plane. We compute the statistical properties of the firing rates of head direction (HD) cells and the potential amount of information transmitted by these cells according to two theoretical models. The ceU response model for single cells indicates that information transmitted is much less than 0.5 bits. The population response model developed for cell ensembles generates values in the range of 1-3.2 bits, suggesting that a cell population can distinguish between two and nine head directions, depending on the value used for the standard deviation of directions over which a cell fires. These values are similar to those found in human psychophysical studies of the channel capacity for unidimensional sensory attributes.     

Influence of single and multiple onset distractors on visual search for singleton targets

In three experiments, we examined attentional and oculomotor capture by single and multiple abrupt onsets in a singleton search paradigm. Subjects were instructed to move their eyes as quickly as possible to a color singleton target and to identify a small letter located inside of it. In Experiment 1, task-irrelevant sudden onsets appeared simultaneously on half the trials with the presentation of the color singleton target. Response times (RTs) were longer when onsets appeared in the display regardless of the number of onsets. Eye-scan strategies were also disrupted by the appearance of the onset distractors, although the proportion of trials on which the eyes were directed to the onsets was the same regardless of the number of onsets. In Experiment 2, we manipulated the time of presentation of two task-irrelevant onsets in order to further examine whether multiple onsets would be attended and fixated prior to attending a color singleton target. Again, subjects made a saccade to a task-irrelevant onset on a substantial proportion of trials prior to fixating the target. However, saccades to the second onset were rare. Experiment 3 served as a replication of Experiment 1 but without the requirement for subjects to move their eyes to detect and identify the singleton target. The RT results were consistent with those in Experiment 1; dual onsets had no larger an effect on response speed than single onset distractors. These data are discussed in terms of the interaction between top-down and bottom-up control of attention and the eyes.     

Psychosocial and health-related characteristics of religious well-being

This investigation examined the relationship between religions well-being and eight psychosocial and health-related characteristics. This study assessed the hypothesis that religious well-being is related to overall health. Participants were 462 college students at two separate colleges in the Pacific Northwest. Analysis showed those subjects scoring higher on the measure of religious well-being scored lower on indices like loneliness and hopelessness and higher on self-esteem. Alcohol and drug use also differed significantly between the high and the low, religious well-being groups.     

Positive maternal interaction behavior moderates the relation between maternal anxiety and infant regulatory problems

Regulatory problems in infancy are determined by different risk factors. This study aims to examine how psychosocial risk factors are connected, and how they impact the early regulatory ability of 3-month-old infants. In a sample of 57 mother–infant dyads, maternal anxiety and infant crying, sleeping and feeding habits were assessed. As a possible moderator, the role of positive maternal behavior was analyzed by videotaping face-to-face interactions. During the interaction, interactive stress was provoked with the face-to-face still-face paradigm (FFSF). Thus, this study differentiated between the effects of maternal behavior in both an ordinary play context, as well as a stressful interaction context. Results revealed that the relation between maternal anxiety and infant regulatory problems in crying and sleeping varied as a function of positive maternal engagement in stressful situations. However, a significant moderation effect influencing infant feeding problems could not be demonstrated. These findings stress the importance of positive maternal interaction behavior in at least some parts of regulatory adjustment of at-risk infants.     

Eating disorder and obsessive–compulsive symptoms in a sample of bulimic women: Perfectionism as a mediating factor

The present study aimed to investigate whether perfectionism mediates the association between obsessive–compulsive (OC) and eating disorder (ED) symptoms. Analyses were conducted using data collected among a national sample of eating disordered women diagnosed with BN or a subclinical variant of BN (N = 204). Each participant completed a series of self-report inventories on perfectionism, as well as OC, ED, and depressive symptoms. Higher ED symptoms were significantly associated with greater levels of perfectionism (p < .01) and OC symptoms (p < .05). As hypothesized, perfectionism significantly mediated the relationship between ED and OC symptoms, controlling for depression. Findings indicate that perfectionism may be considered a shared etiological or phenomenological factor in ED and OC symptoms.     

Parent–child interaction,task-oriented regulation,and cognitive development in toddlers facing developmental risks

The importance of supportive parent–child interactions and the development of regulatory abilities with regard to growth in children's cognitive abilities has been established. This study investigated the longitudinal relations among parental supportiveness, child task-oriented regulation, and cognitive development for low-income children facing developmental risks. Interlocking growth models were fit to these variables based on measurements made when the children were 14, 24, and 36 months of age. Results showed that growth rates of child cognition were related to baseline (14 months) parental supportiveness and changes in child task-oriented regulation. We additionally found that baseline levels of cognition were related to the baseline levels of child task-oriented regulation. This study suggests that both parental supportiveness during infancy and the concurrent development of child task-oriented regulation are related to cognitive development among children facing developmental risks.     

Differentiation and Intimate Partner Violence

ABSTRACT

This study explored the impact of differentiation of self on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). We sought to determine if an individual's level of differentiation of self in a relationship adds to the variance accounted for in IPV perpetration by known risk factors, i.e., relational satisfaction, marital conflict, romantic jealousy, depression, and anxiety. Results indicated that differentiation of self in a relationship is a predictor for perpetration of physical intimate partner violence even after controlling for other known risk factors.     

Elternschaft, Krebs und Kindersorgen

Background

The diagnosis of parental cancer may destabilize the whole family, parents and children as well. The Hamburg children of somatically ill parents (COSIP) intervention supports parental skills and adaptation of children to the situation. There is currently no evidence for criteria to determine which family members should be involved in the COSIP intervention, predominantly the parents (parent setting), the children (child setting) or both (family setting).

Aim of the study

Data from a multicentre study were analyzed with respect to the predominant intervention settings, the correlation between setting and aims of intervention as well as variables that predict the involvement of children in the intervention.

Material and methods

A total of 203 documented cases were analyzed. Different variables that had been documented by the therapists were included in a regression analysis model in order to identify predictive variables.

Results

In 142 cases the intervention was carried out in a specific intervention setting. In 57?% of the cases children were involved (32?% family setting and 25?% child setting). A systematic relationship between the reported intervention aims and the intervention setting was not detected. The most powerful predictor was the existence of emotional problems of children as reported by the child itself.

Conclusions

Decision-making on intervention settings should therefore take the assessment of emotional symptoms of children by the means of age-appropriate self-reporting tools into consideration. Further investigations are needed to reveal variables concerning needs, motivation and capabilities of the family members as well as institutional conditions.