Scaffolds for Social Meaning

The perception of social meanings traditionally deemed to be private is addressed by contrasting the perception of social affordances with the perception of the physical affordances of environmental objects. Assuming that (a) affordances are defined by relationships between properties of the environment and properties of an actor and that (b) information must exist to specify this relationship for the perception of affordances, the question is whether and how private social meanings can fulfill these criteria. The attack is twofold. First, one needs to take seriously the ontology of the social world by considering social environment properties and actors' social roles as real and embodied—existing in the world and not just in mental representations. Second and more problematically, one needs to understand how information exists that specifies these more abstract and temporally extended aspects of the environment and actor. I propose that these problems can be averted by taking seriously as conceptual scaffolds the reality of functionally defined properties of the environment and actor, J. J. Gibson's primacy of events, and his notion of the occluding edge (1979/1986).     

Distress Tolerance and Anxiety Sensitivity Cognitive Concerns: Testing the Incremental Contributions of Affect Dysregulation Constructs on Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempt

Empirical work has suggested relationships among suicide-related outcomes and several constructs related to affect dysregulation, notably anxiety sensitivity (AS) and distress tolerance (DT). However, important questions remain, including the relative contributions of these affect regulation variables as well as the direct contribution of DT on suicidal ideation and prior attempts. The current study sought to better elucidate the nature of these relationships by examining AS, DT, and suicidal ideation and attempt in a clinical sample (N = 192). Consistent with prior work and prediction, findings revealed a significant relationship between the AS cognitive concerns subfactor and suicidal ideation and suicide attempt history after accounting for the effects of DT, gender, and depressive symptoms. In addition, depressive symptoms significantly moderated the relationship between the AS cognitive concerns subfactor and suicidal ideation. After accounting for the influence of AS, analyses revealed that DT approached significance in predicting suicidal ideation, but did not significantly predict suicide attempt history. These results suggest that elevated AS cognitive concerns are particularly relevant to suicide in the context of depressive symptoms. Clinicians may benefit from implementing AS reduction strategies with individuals who endorse elevated suicide risk as well as elevated AS cognitive concerns.     

A Rigorous Test of the Fit of the Circumplex Model to Big Five Personality Data: Theoretical and Methodological Issues and Two Large Sample Empirical Tests

Our objective was to apply the rigorous test developed by Browne (1992) to determine whether the circumplex model fits Big Five personality data. This test has yet to be applied to personality data. Another objective was to determine whether blended items explained correlations among the Big Five traits. We used two working adult samples, the Eugene-Springfield Community Sample and the Professional Worker Career Experience Survey. Fit to the circumplex was tested via Browne's (1992) procedure. Circumplexes were graphed to identify items with loadings on multiple traits (blended items), and to determine whether removing these items changed five-factor model (FFM) trait intercorrelations. In both samples, the circumplex structure fit the FFM traits well. Each sample had items with dual-factor loadings (8 items in the first sample, 21 in the second). Removing blended items had little effect on construct-level intercorrelations among FFM traits. We conclude that rigorous tests show that the fit of personality data to the circumplex model is good. This finding means the circumplex model is competitive with the factor model in understanding the organization of personality traits. The circumplex structure also provides a theoretically and empirically sound rationale for evaluating intercorrelations among FFM traits. Even after eliminating blended items, FFM personality traits remained correlated.     

An Analysis of Expressions Used by Adolescents at Varying Economic Levels to Describe Accepted and Rejected Peers

Conservation has been found to be positively and moderately correlated with reading readiness, and only slightly less correlated with reading readiness than intelligence as measured by the Primary Mental Abilities Test. A moderate correlation also existed between conservation and intelligence. It was suggested that conservation would be worthy of attention by primary teachers as a predictor of the child's readiness for learning to read.     

The Activity-Set Hypothesis For Warm-Up Decrement in a Movement-Speed Task

The activity-set hypothesis that warm-up decrement (WUD) is caused by loss over rest of a generalized readiness to respond was tested using a right-hand movement-time task. 34 university males practiced 20 trials of the right-hand task, and then had a 10-min. no-practice period during which they either rested (Condition REST) or rested plus practiced a left-hand movement-time task, (Condition ACT). When Ss were transferred to the right-hand task, Condition REST produced large WUD which was quickly eliminated, whereas Condition ACT produced no WUD. This supported the hypothesis that the left-hand task reinstated the activity set for movement speed, and that WUD is the loss of a generalized non-habit readiness to respond. Implications for rival hypotheses for WUD were discussed.     

Associations of non‐symbolic and symbolic numerical magnitude processing with mathematical competence: a meta‐analysis

Many studies have investigated the association between numerical magnitude processing skills, as assessed by the numerical magnitude comparison task, and broader mathematical competence, e.g. counting, arithmetic, or algebra. Most correlations were positive but varied considerably in their strengths. It remains unclear whether and to what extent the strength of these associations differs systematically between non‐symbolic and symbolic magnitude comparison tasks and whether age, magnitude comparison measures or mathematical competence measures are additional moderators. We investigated these questions by means of a meta‐analysis. The literature search yielded 45 articles reporting 284 effect sizes found with 17,201 participants. Effect sizes were combined by means of a two‐level random‐effects regression model. The effect size was significantly higher for the symbolic (r = .302, 95% CI [.243, .361]) than for the non‐symbolic (r = .241, 95% CI [.198, .284]) magnitude comparison task and decreased very slightly with age. The correlation was higher for solution rates and Weber fractions than for alternative measures of comparison proficiency. It was higher for mathematical competencies that rely more heavily on the processing of magnitudes (i.e. mental arithmetic and early mathematical abilities) than for others. The results support the view that magnitude processing is reliably associated with mathematical competence over the lifespan in a wide range of tasks, measures and mathematical subdomains. The association is stronger for symbolic than for non‐symbolic numerical magnitude processing. So symbolic magnitude processing might be a more eligible candidate to be targeted by diagnostic screening instruments and interventions for school‐aged children and for adults.     

Emergency Response Services Suicide: A Crisis in Canada?

This literature review sought to examine the extant literature on the relationship between emergency response services (ERS) personnel and suicide in Canada. The purpose was to determine what research has been conducted on suicide and suicide ideation among ERS, to contribute to knowledge in the area, and also to identify potential research gaps. Through a search of multiple databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Psyc Articles, Psyc Info, Science Direct, CINAHL) and additional hand searching, 40 articles were identified to meet search criteria and provide relevant information on this topic. The articles revealed that research has primarily focused on the traumatic stress and critical incidents encountered by emergency responders, while little research has been conducted specifically on suicide within these professions. The minimal research that has focused on suicide generally discusses ERS encounters with suicide victims and patients, rather than suicide in the context of their personal mental health. The limited research that does discuss ERS suicide is largely restricted to law enforcement and military personnel. Finally, the literature search identified a particular lack of research relevant to the Canadian context. A research agenda is recommended to further investigate suicide among ERS within Canada, and the impact these suicides have on colleagues, families and friends.     

Evaluating the Effects of Creative Journal Arts Therapy for Survivors of Domestic Violence

The authors implemented a small series (N = 3) single-case research design to assess the effectiveness of a 9-session creative arts therapy treatment program for adult survivors of domestic violence. Analysis of participants’ scores on the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45.2) and Brief Resilience Scale using the percentage of nonoverlapping data procedure yielded treatment effects indicating that a creative arts therapy treatment program may be effective for reducing mental health symptoms and improving resiliency. It is recommended that this body of research continue for other educational, work, and health settings.     

Cognitive risk factors explain the relations between neuroticism and social anxiety for males and females

The hierarchical model of vulnerabilities to emotional distress contextualizes the relation between neuroticism and social anxiety as occurring indirectly through cognitive risk factors. In particular, inhibitory intolerance of uncertainty (IU; difficulty in uncertain circumstances), fear of negative evaluation (FNE; fear of being judged negatively), and anxiety sensitivity (AS) social concerns (fear of outwardly observable anxiety) are related to social anxiety. It is unclear whether these risk factors uniquely relate to social anxiety, and whether they account for the relations between neuroticism and social anxiety. The indirect relations between neuroticism and social anxiety through these and other risk factors were examined using structural equation modeling in a sample of 462 individuals (M age = 36.56, SD = 12.93; 64.3% female). Results indicated that the relations between neuroticism and social anxiety could be explained through inhibitory IU, FNE, and AS social concerns. No gender differences were found. These findings provide support for the hierarchical model of vulnerabilities to emotional distress disorders, although the cognitive risk factors accounted for variance beyond their contribution to the relation between neuroticism and social anxiety, suggesting a more complex model than that expressed in the hierarchical model of vulnerabilities.