Early Temperament and Attachment Security with Mothers and Fathers as Predictors of Toddler Compliance and Noncompliance

This longitudinal study (n = 106) examined associations between temperament, attachment, and styles of compliance and noncompliance. Infant negative temperamental reactivity was reported by mothers at 3, 5 and 7 months. Infant attachment was assessed (Strange Situation) at 12 (mothers) and 14 months (fathers). Toddlers' styles of compliance/noncompliance were measured using two laboratory contexts (clean‐up/delay) at 20 months. Results indicated that temperament and attachment predicted toddler behaviour. Toddlers who were secure with mothers and low in temperamental negative reactivity showed more committed compliance than those who were insecure and low in negative reactivity or secure and high in negative reactivity. In addition, interactions revealed that relations between infant–mother attachment and defiance depended on infant–father attachment security, temperament and context. Findings highlight the differential and complex roles of temperament and attachment as potential precursors of later social competence. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Are age-related changes in cognitive function driven by age-related changes in sensory processing?

Although there has been keen interest in the association among measures of sensory function and cognitive function for many years, in general, measures of sensory function have been confined to one or two senses and measures of threshold sensitivity (acuity). In this study, rigorous psychophysical measures of threshold sensitivity, temporal gap detection, temporal order identification, and temporal masking have been obtained, in hearing, vision, and touch. In addition, all subjects completed 15 subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 3rd edition (WAIS–III). Data were obtained from 245 adults (18–87 years old) for the WAIS–III and for 40 measures of threshold sensitivity and temporal processing. The focus in this report is on individual differences in performance for the entire data set. Principal-components (PC) factor analysis reduced the 40 psychophysical measures to eight correlated factors, which were reduced further to a single global sensory processing factor. Similarly, PC factor analysis of the 15 WAIS–III scores resulted in three correlated factors that were further reduced to a single global cognitive function factor. Age, global sensory processing, and global cognitive function were all moderately and significantly correlated with one another. However, paired partial correlations, controlling for the third of these three measures, revealed that the moderate correlation between age and global cognitive function went to zero when global sensory processing was controlled for; the other two partial correlations remained intact. Structural models confirmed this result. These analyses suggest that the long-standing observation of age-related changes in cognitive function may be mediated by age-related changes in global sensory processing.     

Parent Cognitions as Predictors of Child Treatment Response in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Using a subsample of 105 children and their parents (100 mothers, 57 fathers) from the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (the MTA), the value of parents' baseline cognitions as predictors of children's treatment outcome at 14 months was examined. Measures of parents' cognitions about themselves, their ADHD children, and their parenting, as well as a self-report measure of dysfunctional discipline were included. Both mothers' and fathers' self-reported use of dysfunctional discipline predicted worse child treatment outcome. Low self-esteem in mothers, low parenting efficacy in fathers, and fathers' attributions of noncompliance to their ADHD child's insufficient effort and bad mood also were associated with worse child treatment outcome. All of these predictive relations were obtained even after MTA treatment effects had been taken into account. Secondary analyses indicated that mothers had a more external locus of control, lower self-esteem, lower parenting efficacy, and a greater tendency to attribute noncompliance to their ADHD child's bad mood than did fathers.     

THE DISRUPTIVE EFFECT OF SELF-OBJECTIFICATION ON PERFORMANCE

Self-objectification is the act of viewing the self, particularly the body, from a third-person perspective. Objectification theory proposes numerous negative consequences for those who self-objectify, including decreased performance through the disruption of focused attention. In the current study, we examined whether women in a state of self-objectification were slower to respond to a basic Stroop color-naming task. Results showed that regardless of the type of word (color words, body words, or neutral words), participants in a state of self-objectification exhibited decreased performance. This study lends further evidence to objectification theory and highlights the negative performance ramifications of state self-objectification.     

Serotonin in autism and pediatric epilepsies

Serotonergic abnormalities have been reported in both autism and epilepsy. This association may provide insights into underlying mechanisms of these disorders because serotonin plays an important neurotrophic role during brain development--and there is evidence for abnormal cortical development in both autism and some forms of epilepsy. This review explores the hypothesis that an early disturbance in the serotonin system affects cortical development and the development of thalamocortical innervation, and is a potential mechanism, common to autism and pediatric epilepsies associated with cortical dysplasia. An argument is made that cortical malformation leads to abnormalities of thalamocortical connectivity, and that serotonin plays a critical role in this process. Finally, a role for altered metabolism of the serotonin precursur, tryptophan, in both epilepsy and autism is discussed.     

Heterogeneity of borderline personality disorder: do the number of criteria met make a difference?

Many studies have compared the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with and without borderline personality disorder (BPD), but there is limited knowledge on differences within the population of borderline patients. One potential index of heterogeneity is disorder severity. In the present report from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project, we examined whether the severity of borderline personality disorder, as measured by the number of criteria present, is associated with co-morbidity of Axis I and Axis II diagnoses, as well as demographic factors and psychosocial functioning. Two thousand three hundred psychiatric outpatients were interviewed with the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (SIDP-IV). Approximately ten percent (n = 237) of the patients were diagnosed with BPD, and they were divided into four groups based on the number of DSM-IV criteria met, 5 (n = 89), 6 (n = 70), 7 (n = 46), and 8 or 9 (n = 32). There were greater rates of drug use disorders and comorbid Axis II disorders, as well as a greater number of suicidal gestures, in patients meeting seven or more BPD criteria. There were no significant differences between the groups in the number and specific rates of other co-morbid Axis I disorders, other measures of psychosocial functioning, or demographic correlates. Sub-typing of borderline patients by the number of criteria met provides a limited explanation for heterogeneity within BPD patients.     

Secrets to Creating Effective and Interesting Educational Experiences: Tips and Suggestions for Clinical Educators

Genetic Counselors (GCs) spend years learning about genetics and practicing counseling techniques in classroom environments. From the learner perspective, teaching may seem straightforward: provide appropriate information, develop tests or assignments and submit grades. When asked to teach for the first time, however, clinicians suddenly realize that there is a lot more to education than standing in front of a class and talking. This article introduces clinical educators to strategies and learning principles that help make the teaching/learning process more interesting and successful for faculty and students alike. The instructional concepts presented here are useful across the entire spectrum of learning situations; a 1 hour discussion with a lay audience, a 3 hour workshop at a professional meeting, a 15 week graduate course, or a series of courses culminating in an advanced degree. The article offers suggestions for writing course competencies, selecting instructional approaches, embedding learning engagement options, leveling course content and choosing evaluation strategies.