The Effects of Cognitive General Imagery Training on Decision-Making Abilities in Curling: A Single-Subject Multiple Baseline Approach

A single-subject multiple baseline design was used to assess the effects of cognitive general imagery training on the strategy performance of three curlers (M_age = 19.33, SD = 3.06) over 18 weeks. Visual and statistical analyses (i.e., response accuracy and response time) revealed that one curler improved her response accuracy and two curlers decreased their response time. These findings provide support for individual responses to the intervention, which may have been missed by a group-level analysis (Hrycaiko &; Martin, 1996 Hrycaiko, D., &; Martin, G.L. (1996). Applied research studies with single-subject designs: Why so few? Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 8, 183–199.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). These findings extend the literature by showing that a cognitive general imagery intervention can improve strategy performance in curling.     

Minding the Genes: a Multidisciplinary Approach towards Genetic Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease

Genetic assessment for inherited cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasingly available, due in part to rapid innovations in genetic sequencing technologies. While genetic testing is aimed at reducing uncertainty, it also produces awareness of potential medical conditions and can leave patients feeling uncertain about their risk, especially if there are ambiguous results. This uncertainty can produce psychological distress for patients and their families undergoing the assessment process. Additionally, patients may experience psychological distress related to living with inherited CVD. In order to more effectively manage the psychosocial challenges related to genetic assessment for CVD, a multidisciplinary model expanded to include psychologists and other allied health professionals is outlined. A case study is provided to illustrate how psychological distress can manifest in a patient living with inherited CVD, as well as proposed psychological management of this patient. Finally, a guide for genetic counselors is provided to aid in identifying and managing common psychological reactions to genetic assessment for CVD.     

Beginning High School: Christian Students’ Perceptions and Choices

Moving from middle to high school can bring challenges for adolescents in the United States, with self-reports indicating areas that might need attention. Christian ninth grade students gave structured interviews about their perceptions of the transition. Issues like a change in the type (e.g., private to public) or size of school were discussed. Narrative analysis revealed key themes: reasons for a change in the type of school; whether the transition environment was supportive; differing perceptions of middle and high school schedules; and importance of study hall and lunch. Quantitative coding supplemented narratives to elucidate one theme, thereby co-mingling methods of analysis.     

Nurturing Environments for Boys and Men of Color with Trauma Exposure

Boys and men of color are exposed to traumatic experiences at significantly higher rates than are other demographic groups. To understand and address the mental and behavioral health effects of trauma, including violent incidents, on this population, we review the literature showing the context for, outcomes of, and potential responses to trauma exposure. We present the existing research about the unique challenges and associated negative outcomes for boys and men of color, as well as identify the gaps in the literature. We present the potential nurturing responses by systems such as schools, law enforcement, and communities to trauma-exposed boys and men of color, and we describe evidence-based programs and practices that directly address trauma. Finally, we argue that, rather than using a deficit model, a model of optimal development can be used to understand how to support and protect boys and men of color through nurturing environments.     

Associations Between Sexual Orientation Discrimination and Depression Among Same-Sex Couples: Moderating Effects of Dyadic Coping

Drawing from minority stress theory and the systemic–transactional model, we examined whether perceptions of partner's dyadic coping behavior moderated the association between sexual orientation discrimination stress and symptoms of depression among individuals in a same-sex relationship. Data from 95 same-sex couples revealed that, overall, sexual orientation discrimination stress was positively associated with depressive symptoms; however, perceived partner emotion-focused supportive dyadic coping weakened this association. Specifically, higher sexual orientation discrimination stress was associated with greater depressive symptoms only for individuals perceiving low partner emotion-focused supportive dyadic coping. Implications for researchers and clinicians are presented.     

Deleterious Effects of Stress on Time Spent Together and Parents' Relationship Satisfaction

Data from 90 German committed heterosexual couples who had a least one child were used to examine the associations between chronic minor external stress, quantity and quality of time spent together as a couple, and partners' relationship satisfaction. Using an extended version of the Actor Partner Interdependence Model, the authors found significant negative indirect effects from mothers' chronic minor external stress via quality, but not quantity, of shared time to both parents' reported relationship satisfaction. Mothers' chronic minor external stress was associated with fewer reported quality time activities, which were also associated with lower reports of relationship satisfaction for both mothers and fathers. The authors did not find indirect effects for fathers' chronic minor external stress. Overall, the frequency of quality time activities may be more important for mothers, as it explained 25% of variance in their relationship satisfaction, compared with 15% in fathers' relationship satisfaction. Implications for relationship researchers and clinicians are discussed.     

Teaching Helping Skills Courses: Creative Activities to Reduce Anxiety

Helping skills courses play a vital role in counseling curriculum, but also tend to bring excessive anxiety for students, to the point of impeding their ability to successfully implement skills. This article describes specific creative and experiential activities, aimed at reducing anxiety in a helping skills course for counselors-in-training.     

An Examination of Biodata Theory‐Based Constructs in a Field Context

This study examined whether items from a biodata inventory were consistent with theory‐based constructs as suggested by the ecology model. The model posits five constructs explain biodata predictive ability. Items were sorted using the theory‐based construct domains. The resulting scale scores were assessed for evidence of content, criterion‐related, and construct validity in a sample of 6032 automated systems controllers. Results suggested moderate support for the theory‐based constructs. A notable finding was that items capturing a theoretical construct were impacted by the life stage in which they were anchored. Results further suggest the need to examine if certain life stages are more predictive than others or perhaps if certain constructs are more predictive when related to a particular life stage.     

Visual search for arbitrary objects in real scenes

How efficient is visual search in real scenes? In searches for targets among arrays of randomly placed distractors, efficiency is often indexed by the slope of the reaction time (RT) × Set Size function. However, it may be impossible to define set size for real scenes. As an approximation, we hand-labeled 100 indoor scenes and used the number of labeled regions as a surrogate for set size. In Experiment 1, observers searched for named objects (a chair, bowl, etc.). With set size defined as the number of labeled regions, search was very efficient (~5 ms/item). When we controlled for a possible guessing strategy in Experiment 2, slopes increased somewhat (~15 ms/item), but they were much shallower than search for a random object among other distinctive objects outside of a scene setting (Exp. 3: ~40 ms/item). In Experiments 4–6, observers searched repeatedly through the same scene for different objects. Increased familiarity with scenes had modest effects on RTs, while repetition of target items had large effects (>500 ms). We propose that visual search in scenes is efficient because scene-specific forms of attentional guidance can eliminate most regions from the “functional set size” of items that could possibly be the target.     

A theory-based approach to teaching young children about health: A recipe for understanding

The theory-theory account of conceptual development posits that children's concepts are integrated into theories. Concept learning studies have documented the central role that theories play in children's learning of experimenter-defined categories, but have yet to extensively examine complex, real-world concepts such as health. The present study examined whether providing young children with coherent and causally-related information in a theory-based lesson would facilitate their learning about the concept of health. This study used a pre-test/lesson/post-test design, plus a five month follow-up. Children were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: theory (i.e., 20 children received a theory-based lesson); nontheory (i.e., 20 children received a nontheory-based lesson); and control (i.e., 20 children received no lesson). Overall, the results showed that children in the theory condition had a more accurate conception of health than children in the nontheory and control conditions, suggesting the importance of theories in children's learning of complex, real-world concepts.