THE EFFECTS OF RESPONSE INTERRUPTION AND REDIRECTION AND SERTRALINE ON VOCAL STEREOTYPY

Although response interruption and redirection (RIRD) has been shown to be successful in reducing vocal stereotypy, recent reports have suggested that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may also reduce these behaviors. The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the effects of RIRD with and without sertraline on automatically maintained vocal stereotypy of a 4‐year‐old boy with autism. Results suggested that vocal stereotypy decreased when RIRD was implemented and that sertraline did not affect the participant's vocal stereotypy.     

Simultaneous Prompting and Instructive Feedback When Teaching Chained Tasks

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the simultaneous prompting procedure when teaching students with moderate to severe mental retardation a chained task (i.e., hand washing). This study also evaluated if students could acquire responses to instructive feedback stimuli presented during training sessions. The effectiveness of these procedures was assessed by using a multiple probe across students design. Acquisition, maintenance, and generalization data were collected and analyzed. Results indicated that the simultaneous prompting procedure was effective in teaching 3 of the 5 students to follow a 16-step task analysis to wash their hands. All students who met criterion maintained and generalized the skills with 100% accuracy. All students acquired some of the instructive feedback stimuli. Future research issues are discussed.     

Effects of early child‐care on cognition,language, and task‐related behaviours at 18 months: An English study

This study investigated the effects of different characteristics of early child‐care in England on the development of cognition, language, and task‐related attention and behaviour (orientation/engagement and emotion regulation during the Bayley assessment) at 18 months. Data were drawn from a prospective longitudinal study of 1,201 infants. As found in previous studies, socio‐demographic characteristics and maternal caregiving (especially ‘opportunities for stimulation’) were significant predictors of all child outcomes. There were also effects of quantity of individual and group care, and quality of non‐maternal care. Controlling for demographics and maternal caregiving, more hours of group care (nurseries) were related to higher cognitive scores, while more hours of individual care (e.g., grandparents, nannies etc.) were related to lower orientation/engagement scores. Non‐maternal caregiving was observed in a subsample of 345 children, and after controlling for all covariates as well as quantity and stability of care, quality of care was found to be predictive of higher cognitive ability and better orientation/engagement. Although the effect sizes were small in magnitude, in line with other similar studies, such modest effects from a large English sample are important when viewed in light of the widespread use of non‐maternal care during infancy and early childhood.     

The relative importance of two different mathematical abilities to mathematical achievement

Background. Two distinct abilities, mathematical reasoning and arithmetic skill, might make separate and specific contributions to mathematical achievement. However, there is little evidence to inform theory and educational practice on this matter. Aims. The aims of this study were (1) to assess whether mathematical reasoning and arithmetic make independent contributions to the longitudinal prediction of mathematical achievement over 5 years and (2) to test the specificity of this prediction. Sample. Data from Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were available on 2,579 participants for analyses of KS2 achievement and on 1,680 for the analyses of KS3 achievement. Method. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to assess the independence and specificity of the contribution of mathematical reasoning and arithmetic skill to the prediction of achievement in KS2 and KS3 mathematics, science, and English. Age, intelligence, and working memory (WM) were controls in these analyses. Results. Mathematical reasoning and arithmetic did make independent contributions to the prediction of mathematical achievement; mathematical reasoning was by far the stronger predictor of the two. These predictions were specific in so far as these measures were more strongly related to mathematics than to science or English. Intelligence and WM were non‐specific predictors; intelligence contributed more to the prediction of science than of maths, and WM predicted maths and English equally well. Conclusions. There is clear justification for making a distinction between mathematical reasoning and arithmetic skills. The implication is that schools must plan explicitly to improve mathematical reasoning as well as arithmetic skills.     

From negative to positive and back again: Polarized affective and relational experience in borderline personality disorder

A core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is the tendency to evaluate one's experience with extreme polarity (i.e., feeling all good or all bad; Beck, Freeman, & Davis, 2004; Kernberg, 1975; Linehan, 1993). In this investigation, we examined the polarity of within-person reports of experience in individuals with BPD and healthy adults over the course of a 21-day, experience-sampling diary. We applied multilevel modeling techniques (Rafaeli, Rogers, & Ravelle, 2007) to capture the within-person covariance of momentary reports of negative and positive features of experience, either affective or relational. Our data indicated significantly greater polarity in reports of affective and relational experiences in BPD that increased during heightened interpersonal stress. We also examined the association of affective and relational polarity to reports of impulsive behaviors (e.g., self-injury, substance use, etc.) and found evidence that increased polarity in reports of affective (in low-stress contexts) and relational experiences (in high-stress contexts) predicted increased rate of reports of impulsive behaviors. Together, these data present strong evidence for the role of polarized experiences in BPD, and have implications for the treatment of individuals with this disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).     

Can Perceived Burdensomeness Explain the Relationship Between Suicide and Perfectionism?

The perception of being a burden to others has been associated with suicidal ideation and behavior. Maladaptive aspects of perfectionism have also been associated with suicidal thinking and behavior. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether perceived burdensomeness would act as a mediator between maladaptive perfectionism and suicidal ideation. Results indicated that perceived burdensomeness mediated the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and suicidal ideation, which suggest that the perception of burdensomeness may be one aspect of the mechanism by which perfectionism can lead to such psychological distress that it becomes a predictor of suicidal ideation. Clinical implications of this relationship are discussed.     

Examining Positive Affect and Job Performance in Sport Organizations: A Conceptual Model Using an Emotional Intelligence Lens

In this conceptual article we introduce a model examining emotional intelligence (EI) and its effects on job performance in team sport. Moreover, we propose that both coaches and athletes actively engage in emotional labor (EL) as a means to performing in their respective job roles. A conceptual model linking EI to EL, positive affect, and subsequently job performance is introduced to serve as a conceptual foundation for better understanding the role of EI in sport. Concurrently, research propositions are introduced linking EI to job performance. Finally, implications for future research and practice, as well as potential limitations, are discussed.     

Carrying the Pain: The Journey from Suffering to Transformation—Perspectives from Shakespearean Tragedy and Pastoral Care

This paper proposes an admittedly difficult thesis that emotional pain and suffering can be good news. Rather than denying and running from emotional pain and suffering, we suggest embracing and carrying the pain. Through academic and spiritual writings, an observation of Hamlet’s tragic suffering, an examination of pastoral care case study data, and a B.L.E.S.S. acronym, this paper proposes that within the experience of suffering lies the transformative potential for meaning and fullness.