Problem‐Solving Appraisal and Depression: Evidence for a Recovery Model

The purpose of this study was to examine whether problem‐solving appraisal plays a role in recovery from depression in a university population. It was predicted that self‐appraised effective problem solvers would be more likely to recover from a depressive episode than self‐appraised ineffective problem solvers. Consistent with this hypothesis, there was a significant Time 1 problem‐solving appraisal x Time 1 depression interaction in predicting Time 2 depression scores. More specifically, by Time 2 the self‐appraised effective problem solvers reported only mild levels of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI] = 12), whereas the self‐appraised ineffective problem solvers reported levels of depression that were moderate to severe (BDI = 20).     

Locus of control and decision to abort

The relationship of locus of control to deciding on an abortion was investigated by administering Rotter's Locus of Control Scale to 118 women immediately prior to abortion and 2 weeks and 3 months following abortion. Subjects' scores were compared across the 3 time periods, and the abortion group's pretest scores were compared with those of a nonpregnant control, group. As hypothesized, the aborting group scored significantly more internal than the general population but no differences in locus of control were found across the 3 time period. The length of delay in deciding to abort an unwanted pregnancy following confirmation was also assessed. Women seeking 1st trimester abortions were divided into internal and external groups on the Rotter Scale and the lengths of delay were compared. The hypothesis that external scores would delay the decision longer than internal ones was confirmed. The results confirm characteristics of the locus of control construct and add information about personality characteristics of women undergoing abortion.     

Ground reaction force adaptations during cross-slope walking and running

Though transversely inclined (cross-sloped) surfaces are prevalent, our understanding of the biomechanical adaptations required for cross-slope locomotion is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine ground reaction forces (GRF) in cross-sloped and level walking and running. Nine young adult males walked and ran barefoot along an inclinable walkway in both level (0°) and cross-slope (10°) configurations. The magnitude and time of occurrence of selected features of the GRF were extracted from the force plate data. GRF data were collected in level walking and running (LW and LR), inclined walking and running up-slope (IWU and IRU), and down-slope (IWD and IRD), respectively. The GRF data were then analyzed using repeated measures MANOVA. In the anteroposterior direction, the timing of the peak force values differed across conditions during walking (p=.041), while the magnitude of forces were modified across conditions for running (p=.047). Most significant differences were observed in the mediolateral direction, where generally force values were up to 390% and 530% (p<.001) larger during the cross-slope conditions compared to level for walking and running, respectively. The maximum force peak during running occurred earlier at IRU compared to the other conditions (p≤.031). For the normal axis a significant difference was observed in the first maximum force peak during walking (p=.049). The findings of this study showed that compared to level surfaces, functional adaptations are required to maintain forward progression and dynamic stability in stance during cross-slope walking and running.     

Effects of impulsivity, reinforcement sensitivity, and cognitive style on Pathological Gambling symptoms among frequent slot machine players

Pathological Gambling (PG) is the inability to resist recurrent urges to gamble excessively despite harmful consequences to the gambler or others. A cognitive-behavioral Pathways Model of PG (Blaszczynski & Nower, 2002) suggests individual differences in rash impulsivity and reward sensitivity, together with a cognitive style that promotes poor decision making, as risk factors. These individual differences were examined in a community sample of experienced slot machine players (N = 100), who were classified into Low, Moderate, and Problem gambling groups according to the Problem Gambling Severity Index (Ferris & Wynne, 2001). There were significant group differences on rash impulsivity as measured by the Eysenck Impulsivity scale, and on reward sensitivity as measured by the BIS/BAS Drive scale. For cognitive style, there were differences on Actively Openminded Thinking (AOT), but not the Rational Experiential Inventory. Hierarchical regression analyses found that impulsivity and AOT predicted severity of PG, but that AOT mediated the effect of BAS Drive. A thinking style that promotes erroneous cognition may correlate with PG, but individual differences in rash impulsivity and reward-seeking play a more critical role in the etiology of PG. The individual characteristics of Pathological Gamblers are similar to those of people with Substance Use Disorders.     

Assessing the Integration of Genomic Medicine in Genetic Counseling Training Programs

Medical genetics has entered a period of transition from genetics to genomics. Genetic counselors (GCs) may take on roles in the clinical implementation of genomics. This study explores the perspectives of program directors (PDs) on including genomic medicine in GC training programs, as well as the status of this integration. Study methods included an online survey, an optional one-on-one telephone interview, and an optional curricula content analysis. The majority of respondents (15/16) reported that it is important to include genomic medicine in program curricula. Most topics of genomic medicine are either “currently taught” or “under development” in all participating programs. Interview data from five PDs and one faculty member supported the survey data. Integrating genomics in training programs is challenging, and it is essential to develop genomics resources for curricula.     

The Still-Face Paradigm and bidirectionality: Associations with maternal sensitivity,self-esteem and infant emotional reactivity

The Still-Face Paradigm (SFP) is a structured stressful event within which researchers have investigated the influence of maternal psychological and behavioral characteristics on infant behavior. The present investigation contributes to this body of work by examining the joint contributions of maternal and child behavioral and affective characteristics on subsequent behaviors and affectations following the SFP. A sample of non-clinically depressed mothers and their infants (n = 31) engaged in a modified Still-Face Paradigm (SFP), followed by a period of toy play. These interactions were videotaped and behaviorally coded along the following dimensions: maternal sensitivity prior to the SFP and during toy play, infant negative emotional reactivity during the still-face, and infant resistance during the reunion phase. Additionally, mothers reported global self-esteem and this was examined as a predictor of infant behavior. Results revealed significant bidirectional influences such that maternal self-esteem predicted infant emotional reactivity, maternal sensitivity pre-SFP predicted infant resistance during the reunion phase, and infant resistance predicted subsequent levels of maternal sensitivity. Indirect effects were also examined, and provided additional support for bidirectionality in mother–infant interactions. Implications for clinical practice are discussed in light of these findings.     

One Hundred Years of Reading Research: Successes and Missteps of Edmund Burke Huey and Other Pioneers

For more than 100 years, research on the psychology of reading has proliferated. In this article, the authors wish to help modern reading researchers understand the origins of the discipline and benefit from its history. This article draws heavily on Edmund Burke Huey's 1908 landmark volume The Psychology and Pedagogy of Reading, the first scientific treatise in the field of literacy. Starting with Huey, some of the early pioneers’ enduring contributions to the field are highlighted but especially their scientific mistakes that ultimately led the field in promising new directions. An overview of the modern controversy between phonics and whole language instruction is underscored regarding how it arose from early errors.     

Episodic memory change in late adulthood: Generalizability across samples and performance indices

Younger adults recall more information from episodic memory tasks than do older adults. Because longitudinal studies are rare and often incompatible, the extent of actual late-life memory change is not well established. We assemble two different longitudinal samples of normal older adults, each of which is tested twice at a 3-year interval, using a large battery of episodic memory indicators. Together, two-wave data from both the Victoria Longitudinal Study in Canada (n = 400) and the Kungsholmen Project in Sweden (n = 168) cover a 40-year span of adulthood, ranging from 54 to 94 years of age. Principal memory tasks include categorizable word lists, story recall, and random word lists, as well as indicators of cognitive support. Overall, an examination of performance on sets of common and complementary episodic tasks reveals that, for both samples, actual 3-year changes are modest and that, when decline occurs, it is gradual. The exception-greater decline for more supported tasks-suggests that these may be especially sensitive to late-life changes.     

Modification of slot-machine preferences through the use of a conditional discrimination paradigm

The present experiment investigated the impact of contextually trained discriminations on gambling behavior. Nine recreational slot-machine players were initially exposed to concurrently available computerized slot machines that were each programmed on random-ratio schedules of reinforcement and differed only in color. All participants distributed responding equally across the two slot machines. A conditional discrimination procedure was then used to teach the contextual cues representing the arbitrary relations of "greater than" and "less than." Following contextual cue training, participants were reexposed to the concurrent slot-machine task. After training of the contextual cues, a higher proportion of responses were made to the slot machine that shared formal properties (i.e., color) with the contextual cue representing "greater than."