Sensory modality, temperament, and the development of sustained attention: a vigilance study in children and adults

Applying optimal stimulation theory, the present study explored the development of sustained attention as a dynamic process. It examined the interaction of modality and temperament over time in children and adults. Second-grade children and college-aged adults performed auditory and visual vigilance tasks. Using the Carey temperament questionnaires (S. C. McDevitt & W. B. Carey, 1995), the authors classified participants according to temperament composites of reactivity and task orientation. In a preliminary study, tasks were equated across age and modality using d' matching procedures. In the main experiment, 48 children and 48 adults performed these calibrated tasks. The auditory task proved more difficult for both children and adults. Intermodal relations changed with age: Performance across modality was significantly correlated for children but not for adults. Although temperament did not significantly predict performance in adults, it did for children. The temperament effects observed in children--specifically in those with the composite of reactivity--occurred in connection with the auditory task and in a manner consistent with theoretical predictions derived from optimal stimulation theory.     

Infant colic and maternal depression

The combined impact of infant colic and maternal depression on infant, parent, and family difficulties was examined. The sample included 93 consecutive patients seen at an outpatient Colic Clinic. Most mothers had private insurance and completed high school. Infants were approximately 2 months of age. Questionnaires completed by the mother prior to treatment onset were used to measure depressive symptoms in the mothers, infant cry, sleep and temperament, characteristics, parenting stress, maternal self‐esteem, social support, and family function. Moderate to severe depressive symptoms were reported by 45.2% of the mothers. More severe depressive symptoms in the mothers were related to fussy/difficult infant temperament, more parenting stress, lower parental self‐esteem, and more family‐functioning problems. Pediatric health care providers need to be aware that the combined effects of colic and maternal depression can be problematic for the family. ©2005 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.     

Book Review of In the Presence of Grief: Helping Family Members Resolve Death,Dying, and Bereavement Issues

In the Presence of Grief: Helping Family Members Resolve Death, Dying, and Bereavement Issues by Dorothy S. Becvar, 2001, New York: Guilford Press, 284 pages, $23.00, ISBN 1–57230–937–7.     

The Influence of Gender Role Stereotypes, the Woman's Race, and Level of Provocation and Resistance on Domestic Violence Culpability Attributions

The influence of traditional or egalitarian gender role stereotypes on perceptions of domestic violence was investigated when the woman's race and her provocation of and resistance to domestic violence were varied. Two hundred eighty-eight European American participants who varied in their gender role stereotype beliefs provided culpability ratings. A factor analysis reduced culpability items to six concepts. Biases against the African American woman occurred, but not to the European American woman, particularly when she provoked the man. The woman's behavior before and after violence influenced participants' culpability notions, and beliefs in gender role stereotypes influenced perceptions of truthfulness based on race. Implications for the scope of educational programs to enhance support and eliminate biases are discussed.     

Equating tasks and sustaining attention in children and adults: The methodological and theoretical utility ofd’ matching

The present study develops a method to create task equivalency for children and adults in vigilance research. Experiment 1 employed the signal detection index of perceptual sensitivity (d’) to calibrate vigilance tasks for 32 children (ages 78) and 32 adults. The results of Experiment 1 suggest that task equivalency across groups can be attained, and a vigilance decrement was observed for children. In Experiment 2, the task parameter of event rate was manipulated across two vigils. Again, 32 children (ages 78) and 32 adults participated. The results suggest that a reverse event rate effect emerged for both children and adults. In addition, developmental differences in response to the event rate manipulation and with respect to the vigilance decrement emerged: Children benefited less from the manipulation and were more likely to demonstrate a vigilance decrement than were adults. No developmental differences emerged for the sensitivity decrement. The results are explained with reference to how task demands interact with participant arousal, and implications for development and for future research are discussed.     

Seven Salutary Suggestions for Counselor Stamina

Counselor stamina is deemed essential in the midst of a consistently challenging, complex, and changing mental health care environment. Rather than perpetuating conversations about “burnout” and “burnout prevention,” this article provides a salutary or health‐promoting perspective. Seven suggestions for counselor stamina are presented and discussed, based on a review of the literature and the author's reflections on clinical practice today. Each suggestion corresponds to 1 of the 7 letters in the word stamina.     

The Role of Laughter When Discussing Workplace Barriers: Women in Information Technology Jobs

Focus group discussions with 39 women in Information Technology positions in a large company were used to identify the barriers they faced, when group laughter occurred, and which theoretical perspective best explained the group laughter. The barriers mentioned included family responsibilities, politics, stress, discrimination, and the problematic attitudes of upper management, supervisors, and coworkers. Laughter occurred when respondents discussed external clients, internal politics, discrimination, respect, promotions, family responsibilities, gender differences, and when derogatory comments were made or reported. Superiority and incongruity theories were supported.     

Solution‐Focused Counseling and Motivational Interviewing: A Consideration of Confluence

Solution‐focused counseling (SFC) and motivational interviewing (MI) have gained recognition over the past 2 decades. A review of the features of these counseling approaches is provided, as well as an examination of the similarities and differences on several dimensions of counseling. Attention is given to empirical research, and it is proposed that SFC and MI be considered concurrently, which appears consistent with calls in the literature for theoretical integration. A case study is included.     

Use of the CAFAS to Evaluate Outcome for Youths with Severe Emotional Disturbance Served by Public Mental Health

Outcomes are reported for youths with serious emotional disturbance receiving customary services from community mental health service providers who receive state mental health funds. Various outcome indicators for the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) are described, as well as a procedure for categorizing youths into client types based on the CAFAS subscale scores. The youth's intake assessment was compared to the last CAFAS evaluation that the youth received. A statistically significant reduction in mean CAFAS total score was observed for the entire sample and for each client type. In addition, the mean number of subscales on which the youth was rated as severely impaired significantly decreased for the total sample and for each client type. The proportion of youths who experienced a clinically meaningful improvement in functioning was 58.6%. For the subset of youths who were rated as severely impaired on one or more subscales at intake, 53.1% left services without any severe impairments. The pattern of outcome results differed for subgroups based on type and extent of impairment. Implications of these findings and suggestions for using outcome monitoring to improve services in the public mental health sector are discussed.