Looking beyond the parent-child dyad for the determinants of maternal styles of interaction

The manner in which maternal, family, and child characteristics; personal well-being and health; intrafamily functioning and support; and several dimensions of informal support were related to five different maternal styles of interaction was examined. The subjects were 102 mothers of retarded, handicapped, and developmentally at-risk young children. The mothers completed several self-report measures of well-being and support, were interviewed about their personal social networks, and were observed interacting with their child in a free-play episode. Canonical correlation analysis showed that there were multiple determinants of interactive styles, although there was considerable specificity with respect to the particular variables that were related to the five interactive styles. Social support was related significantly to four of the maternal interactive styles, which indicates that the parenting behavior was influenced in part by factors other than the individual characteristics of the dyad members.     

Sex differences in neural efficiency: Are they due to the stereotype threat effect?

The neural efficiency hypothesis postulates a more efficient use of brain resources in more intelligent people as compared to less intelligent ones. However, this relationship was found to be moderated by sex and task content. While the phenomenon of neural efficiency was previously supported for men when performing visuo-spatial tasks it occurred for women only when performing verbal tasks. One possible explanation for this finding could be provided by the well-studied phenomenon called stereotype threat. Stereotype threat arises when a negative stereotype of one’s own group is made salient and can result in behavior that confirms the stereotype. Overall, 32 boys and 31 girls of varying intellectual ability were tested with a mental rotation task, either under a stereotype exposure or a no-stereotype exposure condition while measuring their EEG. The behavioral results show that an activated negative stereotype not necessarily hampers the performance of girls. Physiologically, a confirmation of the neural efficiency phenomenon was only obtained for boys working under a no-stereotype exposure condition. This result pattern replicates previous findings without threat and thus suggests that sex differences in neural efficiency during visuo-spatial tasks may not be due to the stereotype threat effect.     

Infant visual attention under response-contingent and response-independent conditions

The visual attention behavior of 2- to 3-month-old infants was monitored as part of their participation in an operant conditioning study. Attention was monitored under three conditions: a baseline condition where a visual target remained stationary; a baseline conditioning where the target was made to move on an aperiodic, response-independent schedule; and a conditioning phase where the target was operantly under the control of the subjects. Fixation time differed significantly as a function of experimental condition, with the response-contingent condition producing the greatest amount of fixation and the stabile, baseline condition producing the least amount of fixation. The implications of the findings for intervention purposes are discussed.     

Meta-analysis of family-centered helpgiving practices research

A meta-analysis of 47 studies investigating the relationship between family-centered helpgiving practices and parent, family, and child behavior and functioning is reported. The studies included more than 11,000 participants from seven different countries. Data analysis was guided by a practice-based theory of family-centered helpgiving that hypothesized direct effects of relational and participatory helpgiving practices on self-efficacy beliefs and parent, family, and child outcomes. Results showed that the largest majority of outcomes were related to helpgiving practices with the strongest influences on outcomes most proximal and contextual to help giver/help receiver exchanges. Findings are placed in the context of a broader-based social systems framework of early childhood intervention and family support.     

The clinical utility of Piagetian-based scales of infant development

The clinical utility of assessment scales based on Jean Piaget's theory of infant development is described. A clinical process is presented which permits one to determine (a) whether a child is showing delayed or non-delayed sensorimotor performance, (b) whether a child is showing normal or atypical patterns of sensorimotor development, (c) the extent to which deviations in a child's patterns of development are present, (d) the exact nature of such deviations, if any, and (e) what types of interventions are most appropriate for enhancing a child's acquisition of sensorimotor competencies. Four examples of the application of the clinical process are presented.     

A social systems perspective of adolescent pregnancy: Determinants of parent and parent-child behavior

Social systems theory was used as a framework for examining the relationships among demographic characteristics (age, education level, marital status, social class, income), intrapersonal beliefs (self-esteem, locus-of-control, and parent attitudes), social support, and pregnancy, birth-related, and postpartum outcomes. The subjects were 21 teenage mothers who participated in a model-demonstration program designed to provide and mediate support that would decrease stress and foster positive functioning during and after their pregnancies. The findings showed that social support, social class, and locus-of-control were related significantly to the subjects' personal well-being and family climate during the course of their pregnancies. Education level, social class, and social support significantly predicted both birth-related and postpartum outcomes. Participation in the demonstration project had positive influences on self-esteem, locus-of-control, and caregiver styles of interaction. The results are discussed in terms of the need for a broader-based, social systems perspective of the factors that influence positive outcomes among pregnant teenagers.     

Influence of the interests of children with autism on everyday learning opportunities

Findings from a pilot study investigating the influence of the interests of young children with autism on parents' provision of everyday informal child learning opportunities are described. 17 children (13 boys, 4 girls) were divided into two groups that received everyday learning opportunities of Low interest and High interest, based on parents' bi-weekly ratings of the interestingness of the opportunities to the children, using an investigator-developed measure. A brief intervention of 12 to 14 weeks showed that the children in the High interest-based group were provided more learning opportunities than were the Low interest-based group, and that the parents indicated that their children benefited more from the learning opportunities. Implications for future research are described.     

The structure of infant intelligence: An historical overview

An historical overview of investigations that were concerned with delineating the structure and composition of infant intellectual activity is presented. The events which both preceded and culminated in the conceptualization of infant intelligence as a unitary trait, or factor, are traced. Thereafter, recent studies are reviewed which have guided contemporary investigators to contend that infant intellectual activity is comprised of varied sets of relatively independent abilities and factors. Several conclusions are made concerning the points of view which various investigators have held regarding the structure of infant intelligence.     

Systematic review of the psychometric properties of transphobia scales

Introduction: Prejudice and discrimination against transgender individuals (i.e., transphobia) is pervasive and has been shown to have pernicious effects on the physical (e.g., substance abuse and other self-harm behaviors) and psychological (e.g., depression and suicidal ideation) well-being of those targeted.

Aims: To date, a review of the psychometric properties of scales assessing transphobia has not been conducted; this gap compromises researchers' ability to make informed measurement decisions.

Methods: In the current study, 61 articles that contained 83 scales were identified, and their adherence to best practices in psychometric testing was evaluated.

Results: Most of the transphobia scales included in the current review did not provide sufficient information about item generation and refinement, scale dimensionality, scale score reliability, or validity. Each scale was entered into a table and was ranked on the basis of its total score. A score of 1 was issued for each psychometric feature that adhered to best practice guidelines, with total scores ranging from 0 to 5 (i.e., higher scores denote greater psychometric soundness).

Discussion: Properties of the reviewed scales are summarized and recommendations are made for future transphobia scale development and validation. The measures that emerged as possessing the highest scores and, subsequently, the greatest utility are identified.