Interference control in preschoolers: factors influencing performance on the day–night task

Two experiments investigated preschoolers' interference control in variants of the day–night task. The day–night task involves instructing children across 16 trials to say the word ‘day’ when viewing a card depicting a nighttime sky and to say ‘night’ when shown a picture of the daytime sky. The purpose of the experiments was to investigate whether the depiction on each card distracts children because it is semantically associated with the instructed response or because the depicted item cues the alternative (incorrect) response within the response set. The results in the first study (N=23, M=52.65 months) and second study (N=54, M=50.81 months) indicate that a close semantic relation between the picture and the target response does not pose substantial interference for preschoolers. In contrast, the pictured item poses a significant challenge for preschoolers when it depicts the interfering alternative in the response set. Theoretical implications of these results for the development of interference control are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Family interventions in schizophrenia: evidence for efficacy and proposed mechanisms of change

Family intervention for psychosis developed from empirical work on the role of emotion in families of those caring for someone with schizophrenia. The level of expressed emotion (EE) has been shown to be a robust predictor of subsequent outcome for service users returning to live in family settings. There is also evidence that staff have similar attitudes. This has led to the development of specific family interventions for schizophrenia. NICE Guidelines for Schizophrenia (2003) confirm that family intervention is effective at reducing service user relapse rates and recommends it for those in contact with carers. Exactly how family intervention improves outcome is less clear. A recent model of psychosis proposes a primarily emotional rather than cognitive route for family factors, and some evidence is presented which supports this. Implications for family interventions are discussed.     

The Relationship of Job Attribute Preferences to Employment, Hours of Paid Work, and Family Responsibilities: An Analysis Comparing Women and Men

We used 1997 International Social Survey Programme data from 14 countries to examine the relationship of job attribute preferences to family responsibilities, employment, and paid work hours. Separate regression analyses for women and men examined whether family responsibilities (marriage, children, spousal employment, and housework responsibility) predicted job attribute preferences. Many family responsibilities were significant predictors of men's and women's extrinsic and intrinsic preferences. Family responsibilities also predicted women's flexibility preferences. We next examined whether job attribute preferences were associated with employment and weekly paid work hours when family responsibilities were controlled. Job attribute preferences showed several significant relationships to women's and men's employment and several significant relationships to women's paid work hours.     

The effects of physical and vocal attractiveness on impression formation of politicians

In order to investigate the nature of the combination of varying levels of vocal and physical attractiveness on the perception of hypothetical political candidates, 90 adults rated photographs of target politicians on scales for the dimensions of competency, trustworthiness, qualification, and leadership ability. It was hypothesized and confirmed that the halo effect (higher ratings for highly attractive targets) elicited by physical attractiveness is stronger and more robust than the halo effect elicited by vocal attractiveness; however vocal attractiveness did impact the perception of the candidates by lowering the ratings associated with candidates that were presented as highly attractive but possessing an unattractive voice. This work was sponsored by the Jean D. Smith Center for Democracy and Citizenship at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College. We are grateful to Donald Bucolo for helpful comments.     

Gender Differences in the Relationship of Anger and Depression in a Clinical Sample

This study examined the relationship of anger dimensions with depression in a clinical sample. Results suggest that the differences between women and men in nonclinical samples typically used in this research may not generalize completely to clinical samples. Further evidence is presented to support the contention that the relationship between anger and depression is important for both men and women.     

Analysis of social interaction gestures in infants with autism.

This study analyzes the emergent use of gestures used among 9-12-month-old infants with autism and typical development using retrospective video analysis. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the frequency, initiation, prompting, and diversity of types of gestures used for social interaction purposes. It was hypothesized that a restricted variety in type(s) of gestures as well as fewer child-initiated gestures and more prompted gestures would be associated with later diagnosis of autism. Logistic regression analysis found that decreased variety in type of gestures used was significantly associated with autism status. Neither number of total gestures nor initiation of gestures (child-initiated vs. prompted) was significantly associated with autism status.     

Social anxiety disorder in children and youth: A research update on aetiological factors

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a heterogeneous and distressing problem for many children and youth. This review focuses on the etiology and maintenance of SAD, and examines research findings in several key areas of investigation: genetic or hereditary factors (twin and family studies), temperament characteristics (behavioural inhibition), and parent–child interactions (attachment, parenting styles). It is concluded that genetic influences, behavioural inhibition, and parent–child interactions play significant and interactive roles in the development and maintenance of SAD. Other influences such as peer relationships, social skills deficits, and traumatic experiences are also acknowledged. Ultimately, an understanding of such pathways should facilitate effective early screening and intervention of children at risk for severe social anxiety.     

Muslims dreaming of Christians,Christians dreaming of Muslims: Images from Medieval dream interpretation

Medieval Muslims attached great importance to learning the hidden meanings of dreams which, they believed, might disclose the true character of the dreamer and others or predict the future. The popularity of dream interpretation in the Islamic Middle East is reflected in the large number of manuals devoted to the subject. They provide a valuable picture of common information, misinformation and social attitudes on a wide range of topics, including Christianity and Christians. By contrast, Christian dream interpreters were frequently regarded with suspicion in the Byzantine Empire and very little of their work has survived. The present study looks at views of each other's faith in the work of two major interpreters, one Muslim and one Christian, from the tenth to eleventh centuries, an influential period in a very conservative tradition where interpretations would commonly be repeated for centuries in many different compilations.     

Prospective and Daily Measures of Acute Thoughts, Decisional Struggle, and Coping: Measurement Correspondence and the Prediction of Exercise in Young Adults

Information on the daily stability–variability of decision-making social cognitions has not been obtained. Two purposes were: (1) to examine the correspondence between 1-week prospective and daily measures of acute exercise thoughts, decisional struggle, coping frequency, and coping self-efficacy and (2) prediction of moderate exercise. Seventy-seven experienced exercisers ( M age=22.36 years) completed a 1-week prospective and daily measures of social cognitions. Prospective and aggregated daily acute thoughts were the only non-correspondent measures. Aggregated daily acute thoughts were the only significant predictor of exercise (ß_standardized=.78, p <.01). Daily acute thoughts may be a determinant of moderate exercise in experienced exercisers due to the unpredictable nature of daily events, warranting attention to making daily exercise decisions.     

Stereotypes and implicit social comparison: Shifts in comparison-group focus

Stereotypes affect how people understand implicit comparisons. In two studies, people judged the comparison implied by a statement (e.g., “Math is easy for me,” “I’m really aggressive”) made by an African-American, White, or Asian-American male. Counter-stereotypic comments, such as the African-American saying he was “bad” at basketball, caused participants to think the target was comparing himself to his narrow ingroup; stereotypic statements caused people to infer that the comparison group was broader. When compared to a fixed standard (all people in USA), evidence that people used stereotypes consistently emerged. Whether motivated or not, by narrowing the comparison standard when presented with a counter-stereotypic case, participants constructed an understanding of the target that protected the stereotype from challenge.